Belfast Local Commissioning Group update on Transforming Your Care

Speaking at the August meeting of the Health and Social Care Board, Dr Terry Maguire, Chair of the Belfast Local Commissioning Group, highlighted the positive developments which are taking place across the city to improve patient outcomes and reduce health inequalities.

Dr Maguire said:

“Belfast Local Commissioning Group is committed to realising the Transforming Your Care vision – to deliver care closer to home, to improve patient outcomes and to support people in looking after their own health and wellbeing. We have spent time carefully planning how to make that vision become a reality, and building relationships with health and social care professionals, political representatives, service users, carers, and community and voluntary partners.

“This year we, along with the Belfast Integrated Care Partnerships, are focusing on improving care and services for frail older people and for those with long term conditions including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), stroke and diabetes. By concentrating on these priorities we will address any gaps in existing service provision, promote self care, and provide more services in the community closer to home to help avoid unnecessary admission to hospital.

“We are also working with a range of statutory, community and voluntary partners to encourage Belfast residents to help themselves prevent ill health and reduce health inequalities. Through the Belfast Strategic Partnership and initiatives such as Active Belfast we are supporting people to quit smoking, take up more exercise, eat healthily and look after their mental and emotional health.

“Transforming Your Care is working to ensure that the health service can continue to meet changing patient needs and provide high quality sustainable services. But if Transforming Your Care is to succeed we all need to start thinking critically what we as individuals can do to make the best use of our health service.”

The role of the Belfast Local Commissioning Group is to develop or ‘commission’ health and social care services for people living in the Belfast and Castlereagh local government districts.  Its membership includes representatives from local voluntary and community based organisations, local councillors, local GPs, dentists and pharmacists, and staff representatives from the Health and Social Care Board and the Public Health Agency.

The Local Commissioning Group meets monthly in public at venues across its area, and further details on its role can be found on the Health and Social Care Board’s website at www.hscboard.hscni.net/LCG