NEWS

Tuesday 3 November 2026 The Northern Health and Social Care Trust board has approved a further £2.16m in cost-cutting measures, bringing its total planned savings for 2026/27 to £52.16m, amid warnings that the latest proposals could lead to reductions in services. Despite the additional measures, the Trust still faces a £1.64m shortfall against its £53.8m savings target, which remains “unaddressed” in its financial plan for the current year. The Northern Trust provides health

Tuesday 3 November 2026 A £634,000 upgrade to an MRI scanner at Antrim Area Hospital has been approved by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust board, while the cost of a separate car park expansion at Causeway Hospital has risen to £824,000 following the discovery of an invasive plant. The two developments were outlined at a recent Trust board meeting, with members approving improvements to diagnostic imaging equipment at Antrim and considering additional costs associate

Monday 02 November 2026 The Northern Trust is to receive £250,000 to strengthen local endometriosis services as part of a £1.95 million investment intended to improve access to diagnosis, treatment and support across Northern Ireland. The funding comes as women continue to face lengthy waits for gynaecology care, despite reductions reported by the Department of Health in outpatient waiting lists and waits for hospital treatment. Endometriosis is a chronic condition in which t

Sunday 01 November 2026 Fewer than half of Northern Ireland pupils who had experienced mental health worries sought help, a major survey of 11–16-year-olds has found. The findings show improvement since 2022, with fewer pupils reporting definite concerns or signs of loneliness. However, almost one-third were classified as having low mental wellbeing, with girls reporting greater difficulties than boys. The Department of Health’s Young Persons’ Behaviour and Attitudes Survey 2

Saturday 31 October 2026 Recognising just one sign of a stroke and calling 999 immediately could save a life and reduce lasting disability, the Public Health Agency (PHA) has urged. Around 3,000 people are admitted to hospital in Northern Ireland each year as a result of a stroke, according to the agency. Its advice, issued to mark World Stroke Day on Thursday 29 October, highlights both how to reduce the risk and when to seek emergency help. Although most strokes occur in pe

Some of those who were involved with the Finding the Words project, left-right, Speech and Language Therapist within the Brain Injury Service, Stephanie Murray, Dr Liz Maybin, Brain Injury Service Manager, Ann (service user), Jacqueline Pogue, Sarah (service user), Dr Shelley Tracey, Geoff & Brenda (service users), Martin (service user) and Conor Shields, Chief Executive of the Community Arts Partnership. Saturday 31 October 2026 People living with brain injury have turned

Wednesday 28 October 2026 Patients across Ballymena and the wider Northern Trust area could receive more treatment at home and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions this winter, as health authorities prepare for another challenging period for emergency departments, hospital beds and community services. New winter surge plans published across Northern Ireland set out measures to improve patient care, reduce ambulance handover delays and help medically fit patients leave hospit

Pictured (L–R): Kelly Kerr (NHSCT), Gillian Steele (NHSCT), Stephen McCartney (NRC) and Christopher Hillcox (EA). Wednesday 28 October 2026 Parents and carers of autistic people gathered at Northern Regional College’s Ballymena campus for a conference aimed at making it easier for families to access support, plan for the future and look after their own wellbeing. Held on Friday 23 October, the Supporting Autism Together conference brought education, healthcare and support pro

Saturday 24 October 2026 The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is preparing for two days of industrial action by hospital doctors next month, amid an ongoing dispute over pay and concerns about the potential impact on patients. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust board at Antrim Area Hospital on Thursday, interim chief executive Suzanne Pullins advised members that the British Medical Association (BMA) had notified the Trust of planned industrial action on 20 and 23 Novemb

Northern Trust District Nurse Emma Griffin Friday 23 October 2026 A district nurse from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has received a heartfelt tribute from a patient’s family for the compassion, dignity and reassurance she provided while caring for their loved one at the end of their life. Emma Griffin, a member of the Trust’s Newtownabbey district nursing team, was praised for going above and beyond to build a trusting relationship with her patient, helping them

My Care app users, Roy and Gloria Lowry. Friday 23 October 2026 The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has become the first health trust in Northern Ireland to reach 100,000 registrations for the My Care app, marking a significant milestone in patients’ access to digital healthcare services. The achievement means around one in four people living in the Northern Trust area can now access key information from their digital medical records through the app. My Care provides pa

Antrim Area Hospital Emergency Department Thursday 22 October 2026 Almost 2,500 patients spent more than 12 hours in the emergency departments at Antrim Area and Causeway hospitals during September, as new figures reveal worsening waiting times at both Northern Trust hospitals. The latest Department of Health statistics, published today (Thursday 22 October), show that 2,499 attendances exceeded the 12-hour threshold across the two hospitals, an increase of 351 (16.3%) compar

Health Minister Robbie Butler and Chief Nursing Officer Professor Maria McIlgorm Wednesday 21 October 2026 Two new initiatives aimed at strengthening nursing leadership and shaping the future of mental health services across Northern Ireland have been launched as the health service faces growing demand, staffing challenges and financial pressures. Health Minister Robbie Butler unveiled a Nursing and Midwifery Leadership Toolkit alongside a new Mental Health Nursing Model, des

L-R: Neil Sinclair, Chief Paramedic Officer, Michelle Estler, DoH, Jenny Keane, NIAS Chief Executive, Health Minister Robbie Butler, and Michele Larmour NIAS Chair. Wednesday 21 October 2026 More than 63,000 incidents handled by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) were resolved without patients needing to be taken to hospital during 2025/26, highlighting the growing importance of alternative approaches to emergency care as the health service prepares for another dem

Tuesday 20 October 2026 Northern Ireland’s leading emergency doctors have issued a stark warning that hospital emergency departments are already struggling to cope, with fears that the coming winter could push services into an even deeper crisis. A new survey by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has revealed widespread concern among senior A&E doctors, with seven of the eight Northern Ireland clinical leads who responded describing themselves as either very or ex

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) is urging people to take extra precautions after it revealed almost 70% of people who have died in house fires in the last 10 years lived alone. Saturday 17 October 2026 Almost seven in ten people who died in house fires across Northern Ireland over an 11-year period were living alone, according to figures released by the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS). The figures reveal that 89 people lost their lives in house f

Thursday 15 October 2026 Nearly 900 children and young people are in care across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust area, with numbers continuing to rise despite a substantial reduction in children on the Child Protection Register. New Department of Health statistics show that 899 children were in care across the Trust area, which includes Ballymena, Antrim, Coleraine and surrounding communities, at 31 March 2026 – an increase of 20 compared with the previous year. At

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald is pictured with Louise Taylor, Founder of Little Forget Me Nots Trust, at an event in Lurgan to remember babies and children who have died. Thursday 15 October 2026 Families affected by pregnancy and baby loss in Northern Ireland now have access to new workplace rights and formal recognition of their loss, following the introduction of two significant support measures earlier this year. The changes include up to two weeks of miscarriage

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long Wednesday 14 October 2026 Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has called on Northern Ireland’s political parties to agree a shared approach to transforming health and social care, warning that vital services cannot continue on their current course. The appeal comes on the tenth anniversary of the Bengoa report, which set out recommendations for reshaping Northern Ireland’s health service, amid continuing concerns about hospital services, GP provi

Newly appointed Chief Executive of Northern Health and Social Care Trust, David Burns Monday 12 October 2026 David Burns, the current Chief Executive of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, has been appointed as the new permanent Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, taking on responsibility for one of Northern Ireland’s major health and social care organisations at a challenging time for services. His appointment marks a change in leadership for the