Dr Michael McBride: Northern Ireland health care changes 'must happen'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-32777339

Version 0 of 1.

Northern Ireland's chief medical officer has said the words "no" and "slow" are not options in response to the transformation required in the health service.

In his eighth annual report, Dr Michael McBride urged all those involved in providing and overseeing the delivery of health and social care services to act swiftly.

There was also advice and stark warnings for those who are not living healthy lifestyles.

With alcohol and food consumption increasing, Dr McBride urged people to address their choices, as drinkers are at higher risk of liver disease, cancer, mental health problems and injury.

But it was the Donaldson Report into how Northern Ireland delivers health care that got top billing in the chief medical officer's report.

Dr McBride said the review "The Right Time, The Right Place" had given fresh impetus to old problems.

"Donaldson has given a new voice to a number of problems which already existed in Northern Ireland," he said.

"I share his view that in implementing the recommendations of the report the leaders of the Northern Ireland health and social care system should be clear in their ambition of making Northern Ireland a world leader in quality and safety at the core of health and social care."

Dr McBride said failing to act would be "unconscionable".

"Northern Ireland is the right place for such a transformation and now is the right time," he said.

"Achieving this will require the commitment and support of everyone involved in the provision of health and social care and its oversight.

"To fail to act now is unconscionable; no and slow are not options in response to the transformation required."

While Dr McBride's views on pushing the transformation process forward are well documented, it is significant that he gave it such prominence in his annual report.

Published at the start of the year, Sir Liam Donaldson's review of how Northern Ireland delivers health care said it could be done a whole lot better.

He recommended four acute hospitals instead of the current 10 as he said expertise was being too thinly spread.

He said that meant the public were not receiving the best of health care and that change must happen and happen soon.

Alcohol consumption remains a serious issue in Northern Ireland with one in five adults consuming above the recommended level.

With obesity on the rise, the chief medical officer said what is lining our larders and fridges is also of great concern.

Dr McBride said adopting simple lifestyle changes could reduce the likelihood of developing obesity-related conditions that place significant costs on the health care system.

In June 2014 the department of health published "Making Life Better", the 10-year strategic framework for public health.

The report cites the importance of departments working together and in conjunction with community and voluntary sectors.

While it said that there is still much work to be done, Dr McBride's report notes some achievements, including the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol which he said had the potential to make a real difference.

He also said the introduction of standardised cigarette packaging was another "significant development which aims to prevent the uptake of smoking by children and young people".

Among the facts and figures peppered throughout the report are: