The Central Joint Forum holds meetings and consultation with representatives of the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. The forum has met monthly since June 2006. A representative of Unison, whose membership includes nursing staff, attends the meetings. Organisations representing doctors and midwives are not affiliated to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and so do not attend these meetings.
A separate forum for unions not affiliated to Congress was established in October 2006 and this includes organisations representing doctors, nurses and midwives. This forum also meets monthly.