Unite Community Practitioners and Health Visitors section will host ‘Diversity in Public Health’ conference at Helicon Centre, Bellaghy tomorrow

June 27th: Kevin McAdam, Unite Regional Officer with responsibility for the Health sector in Northern Ireland will address the ‘Diversity in Public Health 2017’ conference organised by his union’s Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association (CPHVA) tomorrow in Bellaghy.

“Last week, Unite the union strongly challenged a threat to slash funding for training of health visitors and advanced practitioners at Queens University and the Ulster University by £1.8 million.

“Today’s partial reversal announcement of additional funding by the Department of Health, while welcome, does not go far enough. There will still be a half million shortfall in funding for training which will have a serious long-term impact on local healthcare services and will mean staff are likely to face additional pressures to their already heavy workload.

“Tomorrow’s conference, organised by our Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association (CPHVA), will discuss the full impact of these and other cuts as well as a range of other issues for the sector. These healthcare professionals play a vital role in reducing demand for more costly services and treatments by addressing conditions and illnesses at an early stage of development. Early detection is vital if we are to manage health expenditure without impacting service quality.

“Any cut to funding for training and development will redouble difficulties already faced in the recruitment and retention of Health Visitors. It will place additional pressures on those already qualified who have watched their pay stagnate over recent years. Workers’ and patient care cannot be viewed as a soft target for austerity cuts”, Mr McAdam ended.