Commissioning in Northern Ireland

The population of Northern Ireland is approximately 1.8 million. Healthcare is the responsibility of Health and Social Care (HSC, the equivalent of the NHS), which in turn is accountable to the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for Northern Ireland.

The HSC Board is responsible for commissioning services, managing resources and performance improvement for the five Health and Social Care Trusts (and also primary care and some community services). Planning and resourcing is carried out by the Board’s Local Commissioning Groups (LCGs), which cover the same geographical areas as the Trusts.

Specialist services are commissioned nationally in line with the principles of NHS England’s Commissioning for Quality and Innovation framework. Haemophilia care is delivered through a single provider (the Comprehensive Care Centre at Belfast City Hospital). Performance data are collected routinely. Specialist services in Northern Ireland are served by forums with representation from Trust management and clinicians, the HSC Board and the Public Health Agency. It is not clear from the information available whether haemophilia services are supported in this way.

 

Acknowledgements

The assistance of Anne Lee, Chief Pharmacist, Scottish Medicines Consortium, and Helen Manson, Haemophilia Centre and Thrombosis Unit, Belfast City Hospital, is gratefully acknowledged.