Job creation is at the heart of a new undertaking by Northern Ireland’s Ministers for Health and Enterprise.
Under the radical change in health service delivery within the new Transforming Your Care agenda a ‘task and finish’ group will be established to promote economic growth and employment in the health and social care sector here.
Speaking during a recent international healthcare conference in the United States Health Minister Edwin Poots said the group would ensure the best possible use of available funding.
He continued: “In Northern Ireland, we have built a strong partnership between the health and economic agenda. In December 2011, the Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between our two Departments, to work together to find ways to improve the health and well-being of patients and at the same time, develop our economy.
“Working under the MoU, we have recently set up a connected health eco-system bringing together our health professionals with academics and business people in a forum where they can work together to innovate, improve and ultimately to provide better healthcare. This work is vital to the radical change in health service delivery under the Transforming Your Care agenda.
“In tandem with this, we will also be establishing a ‘task and finish’ group to identify opportunities to promote economic growth and job creation in Northern Ireland in the health and social care sector, to ensure the best possible support from DHSSPS and Invest NI for all worthwhile opportunities to make use of the funding available.”
The Minister said; “This financial support aims to encourage companies from the US and EU to base their research into connected health in Northern Ireland. There is no doubt that we have much to offer; we are large enough to be a test-bed for innovative initiatives and yet, we are small enough to be nimble and flexible with our integrated health and social care sector.”
During the conference Mr Poots welcomed commitment of close to £5million of assistance being made available to attract innovation and technology aimed at improving patient healthcare in Northern Ireland.