Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
June 2007
Background
The Minister of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is currently Mr Michael McGimpsey of the Ulster Unionist Party.
The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety is one of 11 Northern Ireland Departments created in 1999 as part of the Northern Ireland Executive by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.
The Department’s mission is to improve the health and social well-being of the people of Northern Ireland. It endeavours to do so by ensuring the provision of appropriate health and social care services, both in clinical settings such as hospitals and GPs’ surgeries, and in the community through nursing, social work and other professional services. It also leads a major programme of cross-government action to improve the health and well-being of the population and reduce health inequalities. This includes interventions involving health promotion and education to encourage people to adopt activities, behaviours and attitudes which lead to better health and well-being. The aim is a population which is much more engaged in ensuring its own health and well-being.
The Department has three main business responsibilities:
Health and Social Care (HSC), which includes policy and legislation for hospitals, family practitioner services and community health and personal social services;
Public Health, which covers policy, legislation and administrative action to promote and protect the health and well-being of the population; and
Public Safety, which covers policy and legislation for fire and rescue services.