Department of Health

News and information from the Health and Social Care Sector. Account maintained by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

✅ The Health Minister has launched the "This is our Health" programme.

🤝 The large scale innovation is designed to establish a clear, shared deal between the NI public and the health and social care system.

👉 More info: https://t.co/p87MpGGliY

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

📆 This week in the Department:

💊 The Health Minister spoke at the Boots NI 60th anniversary

🏘️ More work on Integrated Neighbourhood Teams

🫂 Prof Cathy Harrison and the Minister visited @CLARE_CIC

🏆 The RCN NI Nursing Awards took place

🔗 https://t.co/Jbf1g6ixdj

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

🏆 The Health Minister helped present the @RCN_NI award for Nurse of the Year to Linda Hamilton.

🫶 Minister Nesbitt extended his "deepest appreciation" for all nurses' skill, compassion and dedication.

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

🙏 "I want to say thank you to @CLARE_CIC for everything they do."

👥 The Health Minister and Chief Pharmaceutical Officer spoke with CLARE volunteers, staff and service users.

🏘️ Minister Nesbitt praised their work and said it tied in perfectly with the Neighbourhood Model.

[Northern Ireland Assembly @niassembly]

The Assembly Health Committee, alongside @MHC_NI Professor Siobhán O’Neill, brought together over 50 stakeholders to discuss challenges and priorities in mental health care at an event in Parliament Buildings. The discussion highlighted the urgent need for joined-up, community-based support.
Insights from the event will help inform recommendations to the Health Minister.

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

📈 The Health Minister has confirmed a collective effort has delivered significant reductions in longest waits for patients and a number of named paediatric (children’s) procedures.

👉 Read the full breakdown here: https://t.co/ezEVm7Ua9s

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

💊 The Health Minister spoke at the 60th anniversary event for Boots' Chemists in Northern Ireland.

🫶 Minister Nesbitt highlighted the importance of community pharmacies in the Neighbourhood Health Model and commended Boots for their care for patients.

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

📊The Department has published Official Statistics on the NI HSC workforce and vacancies under active recruitment at 31 March 2026.

👉 Available to view at the following link: https://t.co/o2ZGC7OdeU

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

📢 Have YOUR say on "This is our health" 📢

🗣️ The Health Minister has called on the public to give their input on the NI health and social care system's future.

📍 Over 120 engagements events are being held across NI.

🔗 Find out more: https://t.co/EmVP8odRO9

[Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland @safeguardingni]

In partnership with @Childnet, we’ve launched six online safety mini webinars covering privacy, group chats, bullying, image sharing, grooming, pornography & misogyny.

Clear, practical guidance to help families recognise risks & respond with confidence.

https://t.co/GgYtIEZNpd

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

🏘️ The latest Integrated Neighbourhood Teams (INT) programme development workshop saw further positive steps forward in the set-up of (INTs) in NI.

💓 The focus is on building a resilient health and wellbeing system for the people of NI.

👉 More info: https://t.co/aWdnJHLICA.

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

📆 This week in the Department:

👪 £29.2m + £30M from National Lottery for Together for Families announced

🧑‍⚕️ The Health Minister visited the QUB InterSim Centre

📱 £42m announced for ePharmacy programme

🕘 Waiting list funding of £80m ringfenced

🔗 https://t.co/Jbf1g6ixdj

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

🛜 "This will genuinely transform patient experience"

💷 The Health Minister welcomed £42m in Transformation Fund support for an ePharmacy programme.

🖊️ Minister Nesbitt said it would replace the paper system and improve patient experience.

🔗 https://t.co/7qS8mcvCwR

[NI Executive @niexecutive]

Ministers have welcomed a £42m investment in ePharmacy as part of the wider £102.6m Transformation Fund programme.

During a visit to Carryduff Pharmacy, Ministers heard how the programme will modernise how prescriptions are delivered, improving efficiency for staff and making access to medicines faster and more reliable for patients in communities here.

Read more here: https://t.co/btfu1FzdqK

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

@BelfastTrust @setrust @WesternHSCTrust @SouthernHSCT @NHSCTrust

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

💷 The Health Minister has confirmed £80 million will be ringfenced for waiting list and elective care capacity building activity in 2026/27.

Minister Nesbitt made the announcement at the Mater Hospital’s Elective Overnight Stay Centre in Belfast.

🔗 https://t.co/JeduGns8FD

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

🧑‍⚕️ The Health Minister and Professor Mark Taylor recently visited the Kingsbridge Training Academy.

It provides surgical training that enables local clinicians to expand professional development locally.

Minister Nesbitt praised the training's "exceptionally high standard".

[DAERA @daera_ni]

DAERA MInister @AndrewMuirNI announces competition to appoint Just Transition Commission Chair & 15 Members & calls for applications
More at https://t.co/JNEv72HJeR @niexecutive @Justice_NI @Education_NI @deptinfra @healthdpt @CommunitiesNI @ExecOfficeNI @dptfinance @Economy_NI

[NI Executive @niexecutive]

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly have published the Programme for Government Annual Report 2025-2026.

The report highlights progress across the nine priority areas and highlights how investment by the Executive is delivering for workers, families and communities. 1/11

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

👉 Read more about the visit here: https://t.co/NM4iGlHvAa

[Department of Health @healthdpt]

👩‍⚕️ The Health Minister and Chief Midwifery Officer met @QUBSONM nursing and midwifery students, as well as other healthcare students at Queen's University Belfast

🏥 Minister Nesbitt and CMO Caroline Keown observed maternity & other healthcare simulations in the InterSim Centre