The Council meets in the Health Sector in order to make decisions on common policies and approaches in areas such as accident and emergency planning, co-operation on high technology equipment, cancer research and health promotion.
The current work programme includes:
- Accident & Emergency Planning
The existing mechanism for collaboration between the Western and Southern Health Boards in Northern Ireland and the North Western and North Eastern Health Boards in Ireland (known as Co-operation and Working Together) will be extended and developed to improve co-ordination and co-operation between health boards in the border areas in relation to:-
- Mutual support in ambulance cover and joint training; and
- Sharing emergency admissions where hospitals are under pressure.
- Major emergencies
- Planning for major emergencies.
- Co-operation on High Technology Equipment
- The scope for co-operation on the procurement, funding and use of high technology equipment.
- Cancer Research
- Sharing information on cancer research;
- Collaboration in research; and
- Participation in multi-centred trials.
- Health Promotion
- Sharing information and discussing opportunities for co-operation in relation to health promotion on an all-Ireland basis;
- Collaboration on public information campaigns, particularly major media campaigns, to maximise impact and achieve economies of scale;
- Sharing information on research and good practice for mutual benefit, including, in particular, the identification of potential joint campaigns following the recent survey of health and social wellbeing in Northern Ireland and the proposed health and lifestyle survey in Ireland; and
- Scope for research and public information/education in the areas of heart disease, cancer and smoking.
6. Child Protection
- Information/knowledge exchange;
- Monitoring of emerging issues relating to vulnerable groups of children;
- Social work practice; and
- Cross border co-operation on specific child welfare and protection initiatives.
You can view Health Sector Joint Communiques in the Publications section.