Setting out a cancer strategy for Northern Ireland

In January 2020, the Northern Ireland (NI) Executive set out its priorities for health: an immediate settlement to the pay dispute; the introduction of a new action plan on waiting times; and to deliver reforms on health and social care (as set out in Health and Wellbeing 2026 Delivering Together (Department of Health (DH), 2019a and Power to People (Kelly and Kennedy, 2017).

These two reports seek to radically reform the way health and social care services are designed and delivered in NI, with a focus on person-centred care, rather than on buildings and structures. They also set out a clear case for change that focuses on the current system's inability to meet the pressures created by an ageing population, the stark differential in health and social care outcomes between the most and least deprived areas, the current service delivery model being no longer fit for purpose, and the challenges in attracting and retaining staff to deliver an outdated system.