Our Trust
The Northern Trust is one of five health and social care trusts in Northern Ireland. We provide a range of health and social care services to a population of approximately 479,000 people across a geographical area of 1,733 square miles, making it the largest geographical trust in Northern Ireland. The Trust also provides services on Rathlin Island.
The Trust has an expenditure of circa £1 billion and employs approximately 15,000 people across a range of medical, health and social care disciplines. We deliver services from over 150 facilities including two acute hospitals, a mental health hospital, local community hospitals, health centres, social services, and a significant network of community services as well as provision of care in the home.
Our A-Z guide provides more detailed information about our services.
Our objectives
Our corporate objectives are to:
- Build Northern partnerships and integrate care
- Continue to improve outcomes and experience
- Deliver value by optimising resources
- Nurture our people, enable our talent and build our teams
- Improve population health and address health and social care inequalities
Our vision and values
Our vision is ‘to provide compassionate care with our community in our community’.
Our staff are guided by the Health and Social Care Values for All – Working Together, Excellence, Openness and Honesty, and Compassion.
How we fit into Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, services are combined under what is known as Health and Social Care (HSC).
The Department of Health has overall responsibility for health and social care services.
In terms of providing services, the Department of Health discharges this duty to the Public Health Agency and a number of other Health and Social Care (HSC) bodies, including five health and social care trusts, and the NI Ambulance Service. The Northern Trust is one of five health and social care trusts. All these HSC bodies are accountable to the Department which in turn is accountable, through the Health Minister, to the Assembly for the manner in which this duty is performed.
Trusts are the main providers of health and social care services to the public. Each Trust manages its own staff and services and controls its own budget.
