The health system in Northern Ireland cannot rely on its personnel to "step up time and time again" to provide patient care and guarantee their safety. .
According to the leader of the Confederation for Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland, which is commemorating the NHS's 75th birthday, this is the case.
According to Michael Bloomfield, there is a need for transformation, political leadership, and a long-term funding strategy.
He said that decisions that must be made quickly must be made both here and in London.
We just need political leadership to ensure it happens, he told BBC News NI. "There is a clear vision for what needs to happen, and the leaders across the health and social care system know what needs to happen," he said.
There are celebrations, afternoon teas, and musical performances at Stormont to mark the 75th anniversary of the NHS.
Some of Northern Ireland's most recognizable structures, including Belfast City Hall and Stormont's Parliament Buildings, will glow blue on Wednesday night.
Dáith MacGabhann, a six-year-old who was instrumental in changing the law on organ donation, will be the special guest at the Stormont occasion.
Despite all the joy, there are conflicting emotions regarding the state of health and social care today and in the future.
Rita Devlin, the director of the Royal College of Nursing in Northern Ireland, referred to the absence of the NHS as "unthinkable.".
We must ensure that the work environment we ask our nurses to perform in values the work they do and fairly compensates and rewards them for it, she said.
She continued, "Career pathways, training, and making sure that "when a nurse wants to stay at the bedside, that that is valued equally as the nurses who want to go into management" are other issues that need to be addressed.".
As the NHS celebrates its 75th anniversary, there has been a lot of discussion lately about how much we love it.
Although the system in Northern Ireland was developed separately, it adheres to the same principles, including being free.
However, are our romantic notions and feelings for the old dame fading?
If the NHS is to still be around in another 75 years, in 2098, it needs real input, especially in light of the trauma surrounding waiting lists, workforce, funding, strikes, and lack of leadership.
A plan alone will not suffice, as we have seen in Northern Ireland. .
People are essential to its success, whether they are patients or employees.
Where necessary, patients require appropriate intervention to keep them from becoming ill in the first place. A functional GP service, exercise, and a healthy diet are all essential.
A robust workforce requires proper hiring practices and policies that will support it. It ought to be shaped and led from within by those who are most knowledgeable about what works. .
A good wage is necessary as well so that front-line employees feel appreciated and resilient.
Without leadership from the health trusts as well as a Stormont executive, none of the aforementioned will take place.
While we all have a soft spot for aging ladies, many believe that if the NHS is to reach 100, it needs to be given the freedom to reinvent itself as a much more modern and adaptable model. .
General practice is in a very different place than it was 75 years ago, when the health service started and the NHS, or the grand old lady, was at its best, according to County Armagh GP Frances O'Hagan.
The lady (of the NHS) may be receiving palliative care, and we need to stop her from reaching the end of her life, she said. "We are seeing great challenges in primary care," she said.
She continued by saying that while the system did work flawlessly for some patients, "getting in" is frequently the most challenging step.
Future-looking, Prof. Mark Taylor asserts that not only will a "robust workforce strategy" be necessary, but also "a realization that prevention is better than cure.".
The time when a hospital could house all services and specialists in a single structure is over, he declared.
We have centers of excellence where patients may have to travel, and they may have to travel to a larger hospital for any type of surgery, so I believe we must conclude that we cannot keep funding the health system in its current form and expect a different outcome. ".
Whether it be by clearing the backlog in surgery, his area of expertise, or by "making sure people get earlier diagnosis and more timely treatment," he said that authorities needed to consider how to make the NHS more effective.
In the winter, it's common to see the Ulster Hospital's car park full of cars and ambulances waiting in line, but emergency department consultant Sean McGovern claims that in the summer, patients are coming to the hospital when they can't be seen anywhere else.
According to him, significant changes must be made if the NHS is to last 100 years, including a greater emphasis on social and end-of-life care to prevent older people from visiting the emergency room.
Many of the patients in need of a bed are nearing the end of their lives and would prefer to receive care in the community.
For those who choose social care and domiciliary care as careers, he said, "We need to be stronger in professional development.".
While all of Northern Ireland's medical royal colleges concur that drastic change is necessary, it is important to consider whether local or Westminster politicians will be responsible for carrying out this change.
