Health Minister welcomes Expert Panel Principles

Date published: 23 March 2016

Health Minister Simon Hamilton said: “Earlier this year, I appointed an expert panel, led by Professor Rafael Bengoa, to consider, and lead debate on, the best model for Health and Social Care services in Northern Ireland. The Panel held a health summit on 17 February, which I attended, and I was pleased to see the level of commitment shown by the members of the Panel, and also the level of engagement from politicians.

"The principles are only the beginning of the Panel’s work but I am glad to see that they have made a strong start. I know that they will continue to carry out their work with the utmost integrity and as transparently as possible.

"As I have said before, this issue is bigger and more important than politics. Our current health and social care model was designed in and for a different era. We need to safeguard our NHS for future generations, and the only way to safeguard it, is to transform it.

“This is not a simple assignment and I wish the Panel the very best in their work to design a model that will meet the challenges we face now and in the future. Since becoming Health Minister last May, I have spoken often about my desire to deliver a world class health service for the people of Northern Ireland. My vision is of a health and social care system that is financially sustainable and which puts quality, safety and the patient at its centre. While our health service faces many challenges, I believe it is possible to realise that vision. The work of the panel will play a hugely important role in transforming our NHS for the better.”