Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
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| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 1944 (as Ministry of Health and Local Government) |
| Preceding Department | |
| Jurisdiction | Northern Ireland |
| Headquarters | Castle Buildings, Stormont Estate, Belfast, BT4 3SJ |
| Employees | 731 (September 2011) |
| Annual budget | £4,383.1 million (current) & £200.5 million (capital) for 2011–12 |
| Minister responsible |
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| Website | www.health-ni.gov.uk |
The Department of Health (DoH, Irish: An Roinn Sláinte, Ulster-Scots: Männystrie o Poustie) is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister of Health.
Until 9 May 2016, the Department was previously called the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (Irish: An Roinn Sláinte, Seirbhísí Sóisialta agus Sábháilteachta Poiblí).
DoH's overall aim and mission is to "improve the health and social well-being of the people of Northern Ireland."
The incumbent Minister is Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Féin).
The Minister, assisted by the department, makes policy and legislation in three broad areas:
Some sensitive health policy issues are reserved to Westminster and are therefore not devolved:
In Northern Ireland, abortion law is a criminal justice matter and is devolved.
DoH's main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are:
In the Irish Government, its main counterparts are:
The Health and Social Care system in Northern Ireland consists of the following public bodies:
Northern Ireland-wide
Sub-regional health and social care trusts
Health policy in Northern Ireland was originally a responsibility of local government and the Ministry of Home Affairs, which (similarly to the Home Office) retained responsibility for policy areas not delegated to other ministries.
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