Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has launched a major public engagement programme that will tour Northern Ireland over the next two months, asking citizens to help reshape the region’s health service through a new “health and care deal.” The “This is our health” initiative, which kicked off at the Lesley Abbeycentre in Newtownabbey, uses unconventional methods—including retro-style arcade machines—to gather views on how people stay well and what they expect from the Health and Social Care system.
The programme represents a significant shift in the Department of Health’s approach to public consultation, moving away from traditional surveys toward interactive, community-based conversations. It forms a central pillar of the Minister’s Reset Plan, linking directly to the recently published Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing as the service attempts to manage rising demand with limited resources.
A New “Social Contract” for Health
The engagement programme will run across all counties until the end of June 2026, combining in-person events in public spaces with digital and social media channels. At its core is an attempt to redefine the relationship between the public and the health service, moving from a “doing to” approach toward genuine partnership.
Speaking at the Newtownabbey launch, Minister Nesbitt emphasised the departure from traditional health messaging:
“This is not a typical public health campaign or survey. We won’t be telling people what we think they should do, they will be telling us, and that’s a significant shift. ‘This is our health’ is very much part of our Reset Plan and links well with the Neighbourhood Model of care and the need to change and develop the relationship between people and the health service. These conversations will help us shape a more sustainable, responsive and effective health and social care system.”
The Minister highlighted the pressing need for this new approach given current pressures on the service:
“Our healthcare resources are limited, demand is rising and care is becoming more complex. Through ‘This is our health’ people will be telling us what things help them stay well for longer, what they want the health service to guarantee, and in turn what they could do to help protect services going forward. So, freeing up capacity and protecting vital services will be important outcomes.”
Innovative Engagement Methods
The programme deliberately avoids formal consultation formats. Instead, officials are using “retro-style arcade machines” where participants use joysticks to answer questions about daily habits and support networks that help them maintain wellbeing. This approach aims to capture views from people who might not typically respond to government surveys.
The initiative seeks to develop what the Department calls a “health and care promise”—essentially a social contract outlining mutual responsibilities between the public and the HSC system. The programme website invites contributions through a short questionnaire and details upcoming roadshow locations across the five Health and Social Care Trust areas.
Context: Transformation Amid Constraint
The launch comes as the health service implements significant structural changes. The Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbeing, published in March 2026, establishes Integrated Neighbourhood Teams intended to bring care closer to home and reduce hospital dependency. Professor Cathy Harrison, Senior Responsible Officer for the Neighbourhood Programme, described the model as “bringing care closer to where people live, supporting earlier help, strengthening prevention and making services feel more connected.”
However, the engagement drive also arrives against a backdrop of severe resource constraints. Recent workforce statistics show the HSC system faces 6,078 active vacancies as of December 2025—representing a 7% vacancy rate—with nursing and midwifery posts accounting for nearly one-third of these gaps. Meanwhile, the Minister has previously acknowledged that 80% of Stormont’s mental health strategy has been shelved indefinitely due to funding shortages.
The Reset Plan has shown some success in reducing waiting lists—particularly for colonoscopy waits, which fell by 81% for those waiting over four years—but questions remain about how public feedback will translate into policy when budgets are stretched thin.
Questions for Consideration
- How will the Department balance public expectations for service guarantees against the reality of 6,000+ workforce vacancies and frozen recruitment in key areas?
- Given that 80% of the mental health strategy lacks funding, how will mental health specifically feature in the “health and care promise” given its prominence in community needs?
- Will the “mutual responsibility” framework include specific commitments from the public regarding lifestyle choices, and how might these be supported rather than mandated?
- How will feedback from the retro engagement tools be analysed and weighted against clinical evidence when determining resource allocation?
- Can the neighbourhood model genuinely shift care into communities without the multi-year budget settlement the Minister has previously indicated is necessary for transformation?
What Happens Next
The roadshow continues across Northern Ireland through June 2026, with events planned in partnership with the Public Health Agency, HSC Trusts, and voluntary sector organisations. The Department intends to use findings to shape a formal “health and care deal” that will underpin future service planning.
Members of the public can contribute views online at thisisourhealth.org.uk or attend local events. The success of this initiative may ultimately depend on whether the engagement translates into tangible policy changes—or whether it becomes another consultation exercise in a system already struggling to deliver existing commitments.