Health leaders launch election asks to secure the future of the HSC system in Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Confederation for Health and Social Care (NICON) has launched three key election asks, on behalf of Health and Social Care (HSC) leaders.

NICON, in collaboration with its members, has developed an election briefing to inform the debate around health policy, in the run up to the NI Assembly and Local Government elections in May 2027. 

The briefing will be launched this afternoon at NICON’s annual conference and exhibition, ‘NICON26: Reset for All | Action by All’.

It sets out three key asks:

1) Collective political bravery and leadership to support the focused implementation of the Reset Plan.

2) Investment in an innovative ‘all of government’ approach.

3) An NI-specific strategic framework on partnering with the public.

NICON Director Heather Moorhead said: "The NICON26 conference comes at a pivotal moment for health and social care in Northern Ireland. As the sector comes together around the theme 'Reset for All : Action by All', we will launch our Election Briefing ahead of the 2027 elections and set out a clear call for the leadership, partnership, and investment needed to deliver lasting change.

“NI’s health and social care system continues to face unprecedented pressure. Demand is rising, while extreme financial pressures across public services mean organisations are being asked to deliver more with increasingly constrained resources. Despite this, there remains strong alignment across the system and a clear commitment from leaders to deliver the ambitions of the Reset Plan.

“Our Election Briefing sends a clear message to political parties ahead of the election. We need collective political leadership and courage to maintain momentum behind Reset, alongside a more stable funding environment and sustained investment in transformation, prevention and innovation.

“NICON26 will bring together more than 700 delegates – including health and social care leaders, clinicians, politicians, patients and the public, and visiting guests from other nations – across more than 50 sessions. The opportunity before us is clear: to strengthen collaboration, accelerate delivery of the Reset Plan and turn shared ambition into collective action.”

NICON sought the views of its members through an online member survey and three focus groups, specifically for HSC Chairs, Chief Executives, and Directors; clinical leaders; and NICON’s Associate Members. 

Key findings from the survey include:

• 100% of NICON members believe the introduction of 3 year budgets is important;
• 95% support the Reset Plan;
• 90% support cross-border working;
• 93% support greater focus on revenue raising;
• 83% are supportive of the new neighbourhood model of care;
• 93% support public health focused legislation.

NICON Chair, Roisin Coulter said: “It is clear that there is strong commitment across our membership on both the direction of travel and the action required. The challenge now is turning that commitment into delivery. ‘Reset for All: Action by All’ reflects the scale of the task ahead. In a rapidly changing world, delivering lasting change will require strong political leadership, meaningful public involvement, and collective action across the system. We must lead with conviction and manage the disruption to deliver the changes that are needed to Reset.”

NICON’s full election briefing is available here. A one-page version summarising the asks is also available.

Please direct any media enquiries to Robyn Scott, NICON Policy & Communications Manager, on 074 8530 3672 or robyn.scott@niconfedhss.org.