NEWS

Flu cases across Northern Ireland have almost doubled in the past week, prompting an urgent call from Health Minister Mike Nesbitt for eligible people to come forward for vaccination. Positive influenza cases have risen sharply to 954, with flu-related hospital admissions also nearly doubling to 264. During a visit to the Ulster Hospital vaccination clinic, the Minister warned that winter pressures on the health service are intensifying and stressed the importance of timely v

The team from The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre celebrate success at the GNI Mag awards. The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre has been recognised for its vital work supporting victims of sexual violence, winning the Health and Wellbeing Award at this year’s GNI Mag Awards in Belfast. The annual ceremony celebrates individuals, organisations, and services that champion inclusivity and play a significant role in improving the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing

Professor Linda Kelly, NIPEC Chief Executive; Health Minister Mike Nesbitt; Professor Maria McIlgorm, Chief Nursing Office A new Career and Development Model designed to support professional growth and long-term workforce retention across Northern Ireland’s nursing and midwifery professions has been formally launched. The model, unveiled this week at the Northern Ireland Practice & Education Council for Nursing & Midwifery (NIPEC) annual conference, provides a clear and struc

Back row: Dr Conor O’Neill, Ward Sister Karen Devlin, Lead Nurse Paediatrics and Neonatology, Shirley Montgomery, Dr Lynne McFetridge, Dr Aiveen Higgins, middle row, physiotherapist, Lisa Rainey, TinyLife Family Support Worker, Charlene McKee, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Kathie Dobbin, Bliss Chief Executive, Caroline Lee-Davey, Tinylife Chief Executive, Joanne Morgan, front row, Enhanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Suzie Forbes, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care (HSC) system has cut its spending on off-contract nurses, midwives and healthcare support workers by £120 million since May 2023, the Department of Health has confirmed. The reduction follows the introduction of the Nursing/Midwifery and Healthcare Support Framework, a procurement reform designed to curb high-cost agency spending and strengthen the long-term stability of the workforce. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said the framework h

A new partnership between the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and charity organisation Pets as Therapy is helping bring comfort, companionship and emotional support to patients through regular therapeutic pet visits in hospital wards. As part of the initiative, therapy dogs Pickle, Charlie and Bailey – accompanied by their volunteer owners – have begun visiting patients in a number of specialist units at Antrim Area Hospital. Gillian and her golden retriever-poodle

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Gemma Peters, Chief Executive Macmillan Cancer Support. A major £2 million Cancer Charities Grant Scheme for 2025/26 has been launched by the Department of Health in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, marking a significant investment in community-based cancer services across Northern Ireland. The scheme has been co-designed alongside the Northern Ireland Cancer Charities Coalition (NICCC), introducing a new partnership funding model. H

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt pictured with staff at the Paediatric Unit at Altnagelvin Area Hospital. As winter pressures begin to intensify across Northern Ireland’s health service, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has issued a clear message to parents and carers: use the right service at the right time to help ensure children receive timely, appropriate care. During a visit to the Paediatric Unit at Altnagelvin Area Hospital, the Minister met staff and young patients to observe

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has hailed a major breakthrough in reducing Northern Ireland’s endoscopy waiting lists, which have fallen to their lowest point since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Describing the development as “a very positive milestone for patients and for our Health and Social Care Service” , Mr Nesbitt credited the progress to targeted investment, enhanced regional capacity, and increased flexibility under the Elective Care Framework. He added: “Through targ

As winter approaches, the Department of Health is urging the public to take simple, proactive steps to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing amid rising seasonal pressures on health and social care services. Speaking during National Self-Care Week, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt highlighted the importance of self-care and community support as temperatures fall and common winter illnesses begin to circulate. “Each of us can play our part in managing our own health and wel

Documentary participants and clinicians calling for political action to improve access to life-saving thrombectomy treatment. A Northern Ireland man’s powerful account of his father’s stroke has taken centre stage in a new documentary shown at Stormont, prompting renewed calls for political action to improve access to life-saving thrombectomy treatment. Over 40 healthcare professionals, politicians and stroke survivors from across Northern Ireland attended the screening of Th

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is now looking for new Community Health and Wellbeing Champions to join its volunteer community. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has launched a new volunteer drive, appealing to members of the public with a passion for improving health outcomes in their local communities. The Trust is now seeking Community Health and Wellbeing Champions who will work alongside staff to help share information, services and resources aimed at

HEMS pilot, consultant and paramedic on their way to an emergency mission Air Ambulance Northern Ireland has issued an urgent Christmas appeal as the charity prepares for what could be one of its busiest festive seasons yet, expecting to be tasked over 60 times this December alone. While families across Northern Ireland decorate their homes and make festive plans, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) will continue operating every single day throughout the holidays

L-R Health Minister Mike Nesbitt; Dr Eddie Gibson, Consultant Radiologist & Clinical Director;  Lynne McCartney, Director of Surgery and Clinical Services (Interim). Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has officially opened a new state-of-the-art MRI scanner unit at Causeway Hospital, marking a major milestone in diagnostic services for the North Coast. The investment will significantly increase imaging capacity across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, enabling faster diagn

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging parents and guardians across Northern Ireland to ensure their children receive the seasonal flu vaccine, as the latest surveillance data shows influenza activity on the rise — with the highest positivity rate recorded in children aged 5–14. All pre-school children and those in primary school up to Year 12 are eligible for the free flu vaccine, delivered as a simple nasal spray. Dr Amanda McCullough, Specialty Registrar in Public Health

Dr Emily McIntosh, a Care of the Elderly Consultant based at the Causeway Hospital With flu-related hospital attendances already rising, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust is calling on the public to take simple steps to protect themselves and help reduce growing pressure on local health services this winter. Dr Emily McIntosh, a Care of the Elderly Consultant at Causeway Hospital , said the Trust is seeing a concerning spike in flu cases far earlier in the season. “We

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has sharply criticised decisions taken at the weekend’s Local Medical Committees (LMC) conference in Belfast, warning that recent moves by GP leaders risk undermining patient care and destabilising progress in Northern Ireland’s health service. The conference, held at the Merchant Hotel, has sparked significant political reaction after GPs voted to escalate industrial measures and explore the possibility of moving outside the NHS system. In a s

Amy Symington As the world marks World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) next week, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is shining a light on the very real and often devastating consequences of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). At the centre of this year’s message is the powerful experience of 21-year-old Portstewart woman Amy Symington , whose life was upended when a seemingly minor hip pain evolved into a life-threatening infection resistant to common antibiotics. For

Alliance MLA for North Antrim, Sian Mulholland, has welcomed the restoration of automatic entitlement to free NHS sight tests, dental treatment, and travel costs for eligible Universal Credit recipients in Northern Ireland. The change, which comes into effect on 1 December 2025, will benefit over 195,000 people, including thousands of families across North Antrim. Ms Mulholland , who has consistently campaigned for the reinstatement of automatic support, said: “From the momen

Northern Trust dietetic colleagues Kathryn Duff, Shelley Hannon, Michelle Graham Steele, Ursula Quinn, Katherine Hudson and Elizabeth Armstrong received the ‘Community Nutrition Professional of the Year’ award at the 2025 Complete Nutrition (CN) Awards in recognition of their innovative work around community nutrition care. A team of dietitians from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has been named ‘Community Nutrition Professional of the Year’ at the 2025 Complete Nut