Press release: Shadow health secretary to visit Northern Ireland

27 Aug 2007

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat shadow health secretary, is to visit Northern Ireland with the NHS Confederation to see in practice the integrated health and social care system in the Province.

Mr Lamb will meet with Confederation members, including chairs and chief executives of health and social care trusts and health and social service boards. He will also meet with representatives of the Department of Health and Social Services, and of the Alliance party - the Liberal Democrat's sister party.

Alan Gilbert, director of the Northern Ireland Confederation, said:

"We look forward to welcoming Norman Lamb to Northern Ireland, where he will see at first-hand our present approach to the integration of health and social care.

"We believe that the political parties in the rest of the UK can learn a great deal from how we in Northern Ireland deliver health and social care services. We hope to spread learning and share good practice through Norman Lamb's visit and future exchanges of this kind."

Norman Lamb MP, shadow secretary of state for health, said:

"I am particularly interested in the integration of health and social care as a model for running local health services in Britain.  I am looking forward to seeing at first-hand how the integration of health and social care works in practice in Northern Ireland in order to inform future Liberal Democrat policy."

ENDS

Notes for editors

Timetable:

Monday 27 August

* Norman Lamb MP arrives in Northern Ireland
* Dinner with NHS Confederation representatives and guests

Tuesday 28 August

* Morning: visit to Northern Area [learning about integrated commissioning in the Northern board and the integrated approach to care outside hospital in the Northern trust]
* Afternoon: visit to the Arches community treatment and care centre [focusing on the integrated approach to community based services in the Belfast trust].

1. The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social care trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
2. The Northern Ireland Confederation for Health and Social Services (the Confederation) is the voice of management in the integrated Health and Personal Social Services (HPSS) in Northern Ireland. Part of the UK-wide NHS Confederation, it is the only membership body for all HPSS organisations.

Contact details

3. Contact Joanna Clason (media relations manager) 020 7074 3306 or 077 9857 1078, Niall Smith 020 7074 3304 or 077 6777 0309 or Ruth Kennedy 020 7074 3312 or 078 8447 3086.  For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.
4. Northern Ireland contact: Gráinne Magee 07919 493650 or grainnem@stratagem-ni.com

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