Press release
Minister of State Colm Burke launches the consultation for the Inclusion Health Framework in UCC
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Colm Burke today launched the consultation for the Inclusion Health Framework at University College Cork (UCC).
Inclusion health is an approach to health services, research, and policy which aims to prevent and redress health and social inequities through interventions and integrated healthcare responses which better meet the needs of socially excluded groups.
The Department of Health is developing an Inclusion Health Framework in order to incorporate an inclusion health approach across all aspects of health policy and practice.
Minister Burke said:
"We know that socially excluded groups face substantial impacts on their health that affect their quality of life. They require tailored health and social interventions that address their social determinants of health and the complex health inequalities that they cause. That’s why it’s so important that inclusion health is integrated into our approach to policy development and service delivery, in order to ensure that we can appropriately serve the most vulnerable members of our community."
The Department of Health has contracted the Inclusion Health Research Group (IHRG) in the College of Medicine and Health, UCC to undertake a consultation process to inform the development of the framework. The process will involve an online survey, consultation events and consultations using the World Café methodology. These events will be held in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.
Dr Angela Flynn, Lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery said:
"We are very happy to be a part of shaping an Inclusion Health Framework for Ireland. The multidisciplinary nature of our Inclusion Health Research Group here in the College of Medicine and Health, UCC, positions us very well to undertake this multimethod public consultation. Each of us have many years working in the health services, working closely with marginalised communities, and preparing the next generations of health professionals. We are excited to have the opportunity to hear directly from those with lived experience of exclusion and to ensure their voices will inform an inclusion health approach across all aspects of health policy and practice."
Additionally, the consultation will include two panels: one which will act as a professional advisory panel and another, comprising people with lived experience. The main target groups for inclusion health services are people experiencing homelessness, Travellers and Roma, migrants, refugees, beneficiaries of temporary protection and international protection applicants, victims/survivors of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV), and people who use drugs and alcohol. Other groups include ex-prisoners, and sex workers. However, the consultation process will inform the groups which should be prioritised in inclusion health services.
Minister Burke concluded:
"I would like to thank Dr Angela Flynn and the research team in UCC for undertaking this very important work. This process is crucial in informing the development of the framework, through engagement with the public and with people who use these health services. By creating an environment where policy makers, service providers and people who avail of services all work together as partners, we can improve the quality, safety and experience of person-centred healthcare."
The online survey will go live in July and all members of the public are encouraged to complete it. It will be available on the Department of Health website. It is envisaged that the Framework will be published by the end of 2024.
Photography will be sent to picture desks by Ger McCarthy.
Inclusion health interventions are designed to:
More information about social inclusion health.
Through the Sláintecare Innovation Fund, €1,293,008 was provided to Mercy Hospital Cork in 2023 to support the introduction of a pilot Inclusive Health Service specifically designed to target socially excluded populations with known inequalities in access to healthcare and in health outcomes.
This funding also supported an Integrated Health Team (IHT) working within the hospital. The IHT is designed to both provide immediate access to acute services and to ensure continuity of care in the community following discharge. An IHT consists of team members working within the hospital in day-to-day partnership with community / voluntary organisations to ensure that the needs of socially excluded groups are met.
This two-year project is ongoing and will provide valuable findings which will contribute to the consultation work underway in UCC.