The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust was established on 1st April 2007 and is one of 5 Trusts in total within Northern Ireland. The Trust is an integrated organisation, incorporating acute hospital services, community health and social services and serves a population of approx 345,000 people with a budget of almost £500 million. The Trust covers the local government districts of Ards, North Down, Down and Lisburn. The main hospital bases are: Ards Community Hospital, Bangor Community Hospital, Downe Hospital, Downshire Hospital, Lagan Valley Hospital and the Ulster Hospital. Community bases are located in many local towns and villages from Moira in the West to Portaferry in the East and from Bangor in the North to Newcastle in the South. Alongside our commitment to delivering safe, timely, high quality and cost-effective care, our Trust has a higher purpose – to improve health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities by using our size as a force for good and working in partnerships with other organisations such as those responsible for housing and education.