AQW 11752/11-15

Mr Conall McDevitt
Social Democratic and Labour Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 15/05/2012
Answered On Date: 24/05/2012
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety to detail (i) the number of Health Partnerships; (ii) when they were established; (iii) the purpose of the Partnerships; and (iv) the agendas and resulting forward work programmes of each meeting which took place in the last 12 months.

Answer:

(i)My Department has three main Health Partnerships that meet on a quarterly basis.

The Regional Partnership Forum was established in 2005; the Joint Negotiating Forum was established in 2006, and the British Medical Association Joint Forum was established in July 2009.

The aim of the Partnership Forum is to provide the opportunity for me and my Department’s officials to engage with Trade Unions and HSC Employers on strategic discussion about the delivery of health and social care; e.g. health inequalities remain a central focus. The aim of the Joint Negotiating Forum is to oversee the local application of the national pay and conditions of employment for non medical staff. Members negotiate on matters arising from reorganisation of services and their possible impact on terms and conditions of employment. The British Medical Association Joint Forum enables regional negotiation and consultation on local policies relating to terms and conditions of service of doctors employed in the HSC; including salaried GPs working in HSC organisations.

The request for the agendas and work programmes of each meeting in the last 12 months amounts to a considerable volume of information. I have therefore placed the material in the Assembly library.