How are health and social care services organised, and who provides them?
The structure and provision of health and social care services: the statutory, voluntary, private and informal sectors, the types of service they provide, and how services are organised and funded in Northern Ireland.
A CCEA A2 3 answer on the structure and provision of health and social care services: the statutory, voluntary, private and informal sectors, the services each provides, and how care is organised and funded, with reference to the integrated health and social care system in Northern Ireland.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
CCEA wants you to describe the structure and provision of health and social care services: the statutory, voluntary, private and informal sectors, the types of service each provides, and how care is organised and funded, with reference to the integrated system in Northern Ireland. A2 3 is examined using pre-release stimulus material, so you apply this knowledge to a given scenario.
The four sectors of provision
The statutory sector provides services the state is legally required to deliver, funded publicly, such as hospitals, GP services and social services. The voluntary sector is made up of charities and not-for-profit organisations (for example Age NI, Marie Curie, local carers' groups) that provide support, information and specialist services. The private sector is profit-making: private care homes, private hospitals and private therapists, paid for by the user or by the state purchasing places. The informal sector is unpaid care by family, friends and neighbours, which provides the largest share of all care.
Organisation in Northern Ireland
The integration of health and social care is a distinctive feature of the Northern Ireland system, and CCEA expects you to recognise it. It is designed so that a person's health and social needs are met together, for example coordinating a hospital discharge with the social care support a person needs at home.
Funding
The sectors are funded differently. Statutory health services are mainly funded through general taxation and are free at the point of use, though some social care may be means-tested and partly charged. The voluntary sector relies on donations, grants and fundraising. The private sector is funded by fees paid by users or by the state purchasing places. Understanding who pays explains why access can differ between sectors, which leads into the next dot point on access and referral.
Try this
Q1. Name the four sectors that provide health and social care. [4 marks]
- Cue. Statutory (public), voluntary (not-for-profit), private (for-profit), and informal (unpaid carers).
Q2. Give one example of a voluntary-sector organisation. [1 mark]
- Cue. Age NI, Marie Curie, or a local carers' or charity group.
Q3. Explain how statutory health services are funded. [2 marks]
- Cue. Mainly through general taxation, and free at the point of use for health care.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA A2 3 20196 marksDescribe the four sectors that provide health and social care, giving an example of a service from each.Show worked answer →
A2 3 is an examination based on pre-release stimulus material, so answers apply the sectors to the scenario. A 6-mark answer needs all four sectors with examples.
Statutory sector: services the state is legally required to provide and that are publicly funded, for example hospitals, GP services and social services provided through the Health and Social Care system.
Voluntary sector: not-for-profit organisations and charities, for example Age NI, Marie Curie or a local carers' group, which provide support, information and specialist services.
Private sector: profit-making providers paid for by the user or by the state, for example a private care home, a private physiotherapist or a private hospital.
Informal sector: unpaid care by family, friends and neighbours, for example a daughter caring for an older parent.
Markers reward all four sectors correctly described with an appropriate example of a service from each.
CCEA A2 3 20218 marksExplain how health and social care services are organised and funded, with reference to Northern Ireland.Show worked answer →
An 8-mark answer needs the integrated structure and the funding sources.
Organisation: in Northern Ireland health and social care are integrated rather than separate, delivered through Health and Social Care (HSC) trusts that provide both hospital and community health services and social care. Services are commissioned and planned regionally, and primary care (GPs, dentists, pharmacists) is the usual first point of contact.
Funding: statutory services are mainly funded through general taxation and are free at the point of use for health care. Some social care may be means-tested and partly charged. The voluntary sector relies on donations, grants and fundraising, and the private sector is funded by fees paid by users or by the state purchasing places.
Markers reward the integrated HSC structure, the role of primary care, and the different funding sources for each sector.
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Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCE Health and Social Care specification — CCEA (2016)