Scope Articles

Reform of stroke services could lead the way for health transformation

Stroke survivor Rosemary Brown and her partner Martin

21 Feb 2019

A new report from the Stroke Association prove significant shortcomings in service. Officials want their planned sweeping changes to show how our entire Health and Social Care system can be reformed.

Childcare provision is good but there are problems with affordability and sustainability

14 Feb 2019

Last month, Employers for Childcare released their ninth annual NI Childcare Cost Survey. The burden on families is enormous - but providers are also under huge strain. Reform (financial assistance and restructuring) is required.

The health revolution

13 Feb 2019

Medicine is at the dawn of a new era. A whole range of new digital technologies, significant steps in developing artificial intelligence and rapid developments on genomics will together transform healthcare forever.

The Crisis in Social Care: the road to nowhere

8 Feb 2019

Power to People, the expert panel review of adult social care in Northern Ireland called for the authorities to start a public conversation about how services should be structured and funded.

Quality of life is easy to understand but difficult to pin down

8 Feb 2019

Reform is possible in NI, even without a government. Officials last week published a paper seeking to understand what is meant by “quality of life” – with the ultimate aim of improving the lot of adults and children with disabilities.

Winning the war on cancer

31 Jan 2019

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of Northern Ireland’s first cancer charity. Scope looks back and examines the future of cancer treatments and asks if there will ever be a cure.

Popular input makes better policy

31 Jan 2019

People love the NHS and attempts at reform are often met with public resistance. However, its adaptability has been one of its greatest strengths. The response to the hyponatraemia inquiry highlights this.

How to feed the world

25 Jan 2019

This week the great and the good gathered at Davos for the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting.

Welfare Reform mitigations have problems that could be helped by an Executive

23 Jan 2019

An Audit Office report has highlighted huge Welfare Reform underspend. Several NI organisations say bigger problems are coming. With no Assembly, we are rudderless – but Stormont struggled to deal with this first time round.

How NI relies on Europe for employability schemes

18 Jan 2019

The European Social Fund represents a small amount of EU money – but supports a huge proportion of the schemes in its sector. Westminster’s delay on developing a replacement is worrying.

Brexit and the looming social care crisis

18 Jan 2019

Health was a key issue in the Brexit referendum. Leavers promised us £350 million per week for the NHS, money it said we were currently paying to the EU.

Teach your children well: the science of lasting peace

11 Jan 2019

Experts from Northern Ireland have helped write a landmark paper which could help to build a more peaceful world.

Helping young people in difficult circumstances is challenging – but organisations are well placed to assist each other

11 Jan 2019

Partnership doesn’t have to mean joint projects – it can just be about regularly sharing ideas. The response of several youth groups brought together by the Urban Villages Initiative shows the value of strategic co-operation.

Plastic: Turning the tide

4 Jan 2019

Last year was a terrible one for those of us who care about the environment. There were apocalyptic reports about climate change, extreme weather conditions and species extermination.

Happy New Year – we can make a better world, but it won’t make itself