NEWS

Causeway Hospital Friday 21 August 2026 No decision has yet been made on the future of emergency surgery at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, MLAs have been told, with Department of Health officials stressing that the assessment process remains “not complete”. Officials also told Stormont’s Health Committee that there are no plans to close Causeway’s emergency department and said any eventual business case must demonstrate better health outcomes before it would be recommended t

Causeway Hospital, and (inset) newly appointed Health Minister Robbie Butler Robbie Butler has been confirmed as Northern Ireland’s new Health Minister, taking charge of a health and social care system facing severe waiting-list pressures and major decisions over the future of hospital services. Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows announced the nomination on Thursday, less than two days after Mike Nesbitt resigned amid a political dispute over emergency general surgery a

Ulster Unionist Party MLA Robbie Butler Ulster Unionist Party MLA Robbie Butler is set to be confirmed as Northern Ireland’s new Health Minister, taking over one of Stormont’s most demanding roles following Mike Nesbitt’s resignation. The Lagan Valley representative will inherit responsibility for a health service facing severe waiting-list pressures, difficulties accessing primary care and continuing controversy over the future configuration of hospital services. Among his m

Passengers travelling between Derry~Londonderry and Coleraine are being urged to plan ahead as essential engineering work will close the railway line across two weekends in September. Rail replacement buses will operate during the closures, while early-morning services will also face changes on the following Tuesdays. Dates passengers need to know Engineering work will take place on: Saturday 19, Sunday 20 and Monday 21 September Saturday 26, Sunday 27 and Monday 28 September

Causeway Hospital, Coleraine The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has stood by its proposal to centralise emergency general surgery at Antrim Area Hospital, warning that the current two-hospital model is becoming “increasingly unsustainable”. Its intervention follows Mike Nesbitt’s resignation as Health Minister after a political dispute with Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows over the proposed removal of emergency general surgery from Causeway Hospital in Colerain

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows Wednesday 19 August 2026 Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows has said this morning he expects to nominate a new Northern Ireland Health Minister soon, as he moved to reassure patients that Mike Nesbitt’s sudden resignation will not interrupt work to reduce waiting lists and reform services. Mr Burrows said he would discuss the health portfolio with party colleagues over the coming days, but did not identify who is being considered

Adrian and Nicci Stewart, foster carers with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust More foster families are urgently needed across the Northern Trust area as growing numbers of children require somewhere safe and supportive to call home — whether for a single night or for several years. For Adrian and Nicci Stewart, answering that need has meant welcoming more than 22 children through their front door in just six years. The couple have cared for newborn babies, toddlers a

Antrim Area Hospital Emergency Department Wednesday 12 August 2026 Antrim Area Hospital was the busiest major emergency department in Northern Ireland in June, dealing with 8,186 attendances in a single month as new figures expose the continuing scale of pressure on emergency care. The hospital saw an average of around 273 attendances every day — equivalent to more than 11 patients arriving every hour, 24 hours a day — while 1,653 people spent more than 12 hours in its emerge

Nerell Browne and Emily Morgan A charity-funded support programme is helping the Northern Health and Social Care Trust retain more newly qualified nurses as they make the often-challenging transition into frontline healthcare roles. Funded through the Trust’s Charitable Trust Funds, the initiative has improved support for newly registered nurses working across Medicine and Emergency Medicine services, with the Trust reporting better retention rates and increased confidence am

Chris Brunt and Karl Bradley from Budget Energy pictured with Victor Leonard from Budget Energy SuperCupNI. (Image: Stephen Hamilton / Presseye) Former Northern Ireland international Chris Brunt officially launched the 2026 Budget Energy SuperCupNI on Sunday evening as thousands of players, families and supporters gathered in Coleraine ahead of six days of international youth football across Northern Ireland. The former West Bromwich Albion captain led the traditional Welcome

Sam Gamble, Tournament Co-ordinator of the Budget Energy SuperCupNI, Ryan Young, Creative Partner at Astutely, and budding young footballer Theo Lever are pictured launching the new official Budget Energy SuperCupNI website and mobile app ahead of the 2026 tournament. The Budget Energy SuperCupNI has unveiled a new official website and mobile app ahead of this week’s tournament, giving thousands of players, families and football fans a single place to follow every fixture, re

Dr Amrita Gurung (second from right) pictured with patients and a colleague at the Khunde Endoscopy Camp in Nepal. A gastroenterology specialist from Causeway Hospital has returned from a volunteer medical mission in rural Nepal after helping diagnose three patients with early-stage cancers during a life-saving stomach cancer screening programme. Dr Amrita Gurung travelled to the Khumbu region of Nepal, home to Mount Everest, where she joined an international team providing v

A former Salvation Army hall in Coleraine could be set for a transformation with plans lodged for a proposed urgent care health centre Plans have been submitted to transform a former Salvation Army hall in Coleraine into a private urgent healthcare centre offering walk-in medical appointments as an alternative to NHS services. The application, lodged with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seeks permission to convert the former Salvation Army building at 152 Ballycastl

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Councillor Dawn Huggins, is pictured with Rohan Roy and Ronan O'Donnell from Maiden City, and Levi Weir and Archie Muir from Ballymena United, who will compete in the Minor Section of the 2026 Budget Energy SuperCupNI. Causeway Coast and Glens is preparing to welcome thousands of visitors from around the world as the 2026 Budget Energy SuperCupNI returns next week, bringing six days of elite youth football and a significa

The newly refurbished bedrooms at The Lodge Hotel in Coleraine after family-owned McKeever Hotels completed a £1.8 million investment to modernise the hotel and enhance the guest experience. A £1.8 million investment has transformed all of the bedrooms at The Lodge Hotel in Coleraine, with owners McKeever Hotels saying the refurbishment is designed to meet growing demand for high-quality accommodation on Northern Ireland’s North Coast. The major upgrade comes just a year afte

The array of solar panels positioned on the roof of Causeway Hospital in Coleraine Causeway Hospital has saved almost £142,000 on electricity costs in the first year since installing Northern Ireland’s largest solar roof on a Health and Social Care building, according to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. The hospital’s 2,300 rooftop solar panels generated enough renewable electricity during 2025-26 to offset electricity costs by around £141,700, while also preventing

Jane Martin (centre) from Mencap presents the Employer of the Month award to Ann O’Neill (left) and Linda Saunders (right) from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. A team at Causeway Hospital has been recognised with a national award after creating a workplace where people with learning disabilities are supported to build confidence, develop new skills and secure meaningful long-term employment. The hospital’s Corporate Support Services team has been named Mencap’s Emp

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged “higher than usual absence rates” within its maternity services team over recent months after concerns were raised by campaign group SOS Causeway Hospital. SOS Causeway Hospital recently met with senior Department of Health officials to highlight what it described as “severe pressures within Antrim maternity services following the centralisation of births”. All hospital births in the Northern Trust have taken place at

The Galeón Andalucía A floating museum that has sailed some of the world’s greatest oceans has dropped anchor in Coleraine, giving visitors a rare opportunity to step aboard a full-scale replica of a 17th-century Spanish galleon. For just five days, from today, July 15, to July 19, the Galeón Andalucía will open its decks to the public at Coleraine Harbour, offering an experience that transports visitors back to the age of exploration, trade routes and global discovery. The i

Members of Coleraine’s Irish Cup-winning team on stage at Saturday’s celebration Coleraine’s Irish Cup-winning team received a hero’s welcome in their home town on Saturday as supporters, families and local residents gathered to celebrate one of the club’s greatest modern achievements. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council hosted a special recognition event in the town centre to honour Ruaidhri Higgins’ Irish Cup-winning squad, bringing together players past and present, s