Health services of Northern Ireland.

Health Services Act (Northern Ireland), 1948 National Assistance Act (Northern Ireland), 1948 National Insurance Act (Northern Ireland), 1946 National Insurance (Industrial Injuries) Act (Northern Ireland), 1946 Disabled Persons (Employment) Act (Northern Ireland), 1945. Centrally several branches operate on much the same lines as in the British Service. These include the National Insurance and Factory Medical Services under the control of the Ministry of Labour and National Insurance, the Medical Referee Service controlled by the Ministry of Health and Local Government, the care of deprived children operated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (cf. Home Office in London), and a Registrar-General's Department for medical and vital statistics. In general, Northern Ireland has allowed a large measure of devolution of responsibility for the health services. Thus, while the Government exercises a general supervision, the day-to-day operation of the services is controlled by various statutory bodies, such as the Northern Ireland Hospitals Authority, the Northern Ireland Tuberculosis Authority, the Northern Ireland General Health Services Board for general practitioner services, the Health and Welfare Authorities, and the Housing Trust. It is important to note that ownership of hospitals lies with the appropriate authority, a fundamental difference from the legal practice in England (Ormrod and Walker, 1950). Furthermore, the hospitals authority was charged not only with the provision ofnew hospitals but also with the provision of facilities for medical and dental research. Such facilities can be given to any body or persons, so that while, by the School Health Service Regulation (Northern Ireland), 1948, the Health Authorities in Northern Ireland may prosecute research, grants for this purpose are obtained from the appropriate committee of the Hospitals Authority. The Ministry of Health and Local Government in Northern Ireland has no legal right to originate or prosecute research as has the Ministry of Health in England (Ormrod and Walker, 1950). On the other hand, the Ministry's power in Northern Ireland is limited to the duty of ensuring adequate co-ordination of services within the powers laid down in the various health enactments. It may be asked whether such a scheme of devolution of ownership and responsibility is satisfactory. Much depends upon the interpretation by the Central and Local (Hospital) Authorities of their individual responsibilities. For instance, though it is a duty of the Local Authority to provide hospitals, it is also the implied duty of the central authorities to ensure that: