Health and Social Care

Health and Personal Social Care in Northern Ireland are provided as an integrated service.

The four health and social services boards (Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western) are agents of the DHSSPS in planning and commissioning and purchasing services for the residents in their areas.

From the 1 April 2007,  the 19 HSS Trusts were merged to become six Health and Social Care Trusts. They manage staff and services on the ground and they control their own budgets.

Monitoring health and social care services is the duty of the four Health and Social Service councils - one for each board area. The councils advise the public about services. They also advise on how services might be improved.