The health and wellbeing of everyone in Northern Ireland is hugely influenced by the policy decisions and spending priorities of government – at local council, Stormont, Westminster and beyond. It is important, therefore, that NICHS seeks to understand and influence government at all levels.
NICHS seeks to act as a voice for those who wish to improve the chest, heart and stroke health of the people of Northern Ireland. Together we can act to prevent and alleviate chest, heart and stroke illnesses and ensure those who need treatment and support receive the best possible care.
Respiratory Services Improvements
We have developed our Respiratory Manifesto, 'Making It Easy For All Of Us To Breathe' to call for the introduction of health policies and changes in legislation that will lead to improvements in the care and treatment of chest illnesses.
Stroke Services Reform and Improvements
We launched our new Stroke Manifesto 'Stroke Reform in Northern Ireland: Time for Action' In September 2021 as a call on the Department of Health and the Northern Ireland Executive to act on stroke reform in NI to improve stroke prevention, treatment and care for stroke survivors and their families.
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial Fibrillation is a condition which is estimated to affect over 50,000 people in Northern Ireland, and is a significant contributor to premature death and disability. Detecting and appropriately treating AF is a major health issue in Northern Ireland. We are campaigning to improve services in this area.
Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) Screening
The success of Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke’s campaign to establish a screening service for Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) means that hundreds of lives will be changed and many lives saved across Northern Ireland.
Improving Asthma Care
We established and lead a local Asthma Taskforce consisting of clinicians, public health colleagues and community representatives. Our aim is to raise awareness of Asthma and to reduce the burden of asthma amongst young people.
COVID-19 and Long COVID
We are campaigning for a comprehensive assessment and support service for COVID-19/Long COVID to be put in place.
