The public healthcare service is used by the vast majority of people in the North, which is little wonder considering every aspect of medical care is included, writes FIONOLA MEREDITH
IN NORTHERN Ireland, healthcare is provided by Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland (HSC), and is funded by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), one of 11 departments created in 1999 as part of the Northern Ireland Executive.
The HSC is equivalent to the UK National Health Service (NHS), although healthcare in Northern Ireland differs from the rest of the UK – and has done so since 1972 – in that health and social services are integrated into one structure.
Like the NHS, the HSC is effectively a system of universal healthcare. If you live in the North, every aspect of your medical care is covered, including GP services, emergency and routine treatments, hospital inpatient and out- patient services and maternity services.
Community care services, such as health visitors, district nurses, occupational therapy and physiotherapy, are also free.
Prescription charges were abolished in April 2010 by Michael McGimpsey, Minster for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, in the devolved administration at Stormont. Northern Ireland also has its own dedicated ambulance service.
People living in the Republic and working in Northern Ireland (frontier workers) are also entitled to routine health service treatment, and the same applies if you live in the Republic and become ill while visiting the North.
Patients living in Northern Ireland are entitled to free treatment in other parts of the UK.
Although healthcare is provided free of charge, some services, such as ophthalmic and dental services, may incur fees, depending on your circumstances. For example, the patient is required to pay 80 per cent of the gross cost of dental treatment, up to a maximum of £384 (€456).
However, some patients are entitled to completely free dental treatment – if under 18, over 60, in full-time education, pregnant (or have had a baby within the last 12 months), or are in receipt of certain benefits, you don’t have to pay.
Many people opt for private dentistry, which offers a wider range of specialist treatments – such as white fillings – not available under the health service. Private costs are set individually by each dentist and practice, and vary from practice to practice.
The public healthcare service is used by the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland. The private healthcare sector is often used for secondary care, such as one-off specialist treatment, diagnostic tests and non-essential treatment, for example, cosmetic surgery.
Some employers offer insurance as part of a staff benefits package. Private hospitals in Northern Ireland include the Ulster Independent Clinic in South Belfast and the North West Independent Hospital near Limavady.
The DHSSPS has the highest spend of all the departments in the Northern Ireland Executive – accounting for 43 per cent of the executive budget – and has an annual budget of approximately £4 billion (€4.7 billion).
Under controversial new plans, the health budget will be £4.6 billion (€5.4 billion) by 2015, but department officials insist they need £5.4 billion (€6.4 billion) to cope with the rising cost of care for a growing population. This leaves a shortfall of £800 million (€952 million). The department has also warned that up to 4,000 jobs in the health service could be lost over four years as a result of the stringent cuts, and that services for the elderly and vulnerable will be worst affected.
It’s expected that waiting lists will get longer, new buildings may lie empty, and the most up-to-date drugs may not be available to patients.