Improving the standard of mental health services in Northern Ireland

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is continuing to drive forward with its commitment to improving mental health and wellbeing and reducing levels of suicide in Northern Ireland with the publication of ‘Quality Standards for Services Promoting Mental and Emotional Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention’. The PHA defines standards as an essential level of quality to ensure safe and effective practice against which performance can be measured. Standards are designed to encourage and support improved services which will lead to better outcomes for service users.

Your life and your choices: plan ahead booklet

This booklet explains how you can plan ahead for your future care in Northern Ireland. It discusses creating a Lasting Power of Attorney, writing down how you'd like to be cared for using a Preferred Priorities for Care document and writing Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment. It also has information about making a will, organ and tissue donation, and funeral planning.

Please note: This booklet only covers Northern Ireland. If you live in England, Scotland and Wales you should ask a healthcare or legal professional to give you information that's relevant to that country.

Dementia Awareness Week 2014: Health and social care professionals encourage people to open up about memory problems

“Don’t bottle it up” is the message from health and social care professionals this week during Dementia Awareness week 2014. The Public Health Agency and Health and Social Care Board are working jointly with the Alzheimer’s Society, the Dementia Services Development Centre and local Health and Social Care Trusts to implement Improving Dementia Services in Northern Ireland. This regional strategy aims to promote a culture which ensures people with dementia are supported to live with dignity and without stigma.

Breastfeeding support for mums

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is lending a helping hand to new mums through a Breastfeeding Peer Support programme which has welcomed 10 new volunteer members. The volunteers are women who have breastfed their own children and who, with specialised training, provide mother-to-mother support to other women who breastfeed. In partnership with the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT), a special event was hosted to celebrate the recent success of the breastfeeding peer support volunteers.

Rotavirus vaccine – a tremendous success story

Since July last year the routine childhood immunisation schedule has included the rotavirus vaccine to help protect babies against the very common and potentially serious diarrhoea and vomiting bug. The Public Health Agency (PHA) is pleased to report that the latest figures show that the number of confirmed rotavirus cases is significantly down compared with the previous four years, showing that the vaccine is making a real difference.

Eatwell guide

This poster shows graphically how much of each of the following food groups we should eat for a healthy, balanced diet: fruit and vegetables; potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates; dairy and alternatives; beans, pulse.

This poster shows graphically how much of each of the following food groups we should eat for a healthy, balanced diet: fruit and vegetables; potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and other starchy carbohydrates; dairy and alternatives; beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins; and oils and spreads.  

Parents and carers asked for views on children’s services

Parents and carers in the Lisburn have been asked for their views on how best to develop services for children aged 0-3 in their area. The Public Health Agency (PHA) is one of the lead partners in the Resurgam Community Development Trust’s ‘Early Intervention Lisburn’ (EIL) project which held a one-day event in Lagan Valley Leisureplex to listen to the views of people in the communities of Hillhall, Tonagh, Old Warren, Knockmore and Hilden.

Belfast’s first consultation on emotional resilience and Take 5 launch

The Belfast Strategic Partnership (BSP) has launched a consultation process today, entitled: ‘Building Emotional Resilience Strategy 2014-17’. The BSP’s Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Thematic Group will seek the views of Belfast residents, community and voluntary groups and interested bodies, to help inform decisions about building emotional resilience for Belfast citizens. ‘Emotional resilience’ refers to an individual’s ability to adapt to stressful situations or crises.

Regional Health and Social Care Personal and Public Involvement Forum: Annual Update Report 2012/13

Personal and Public Involvement (PPI) is an essential component in the delivery of truly person centred services. It is also a statutory duty. The PHA has leadership responsibilities in respect of the implementation of PPI across HSC. One of the ways in which the PHA discharges that leadership function, is through the Regional HSC PPI Forum. This body brings together all HSC organisations, working alongside service users and carers, to bring a focus on involvement. 

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