NEWS

MLA’s join with cancer survivors, sufferers and members of Cancer Focus NI on the steps of Stormont to call for cancer services to be funded and protected. Cancer services must become a protected and fully funded priority after the next Northern Ireland Assembly election, a leading charity has said as figures expose the scale of the waits facing patients. Cancer Focus Northern Ireland has launched its 2027 Election Manifesto, calling on every political party to commit to fast

The controversial proposal to move emergency general surgery from Causeway Hospital to Antrim is set to face a tougher ministerial test after Northern Ireland’s new Health Minister pledged to challenge the evidence behind major hospital changes and warned that reform cannot simply mean centralisation. Robbie Butler has also put proposed new hospital categories on hold and announced plans for an independent expert committee to scrutinise major or controversial changes to Healt

The Northern Trust has agreed £50 million of savings and confirmed it is now working to wind down Phone First — but says much of the detail showing what its wider financial plan will mean for patients and frontline staff is still being worked through. Love Ballymena put 12 detailed questions to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust after examining its 2026/27 Savings Plan, seeking clarity on a 23% reduction in winter planning funding, a targeted 25% reduction in enhanced

North Antrim MLA Paul Frew Failures to tell GPs that hospital referrals had been rejected affected 44,657 referrals in Northern Ireland, including 1,423 for suspected cancer and 16,366 classified as urgent, a ministerial letter has revealed. The figures were disclosed to North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew by former Health Minister Mike Nesbitt in correspondence dated 17 August, before his resignation. Mr Nesbitt said the referrals had been received and clinically assessed within

Antrim Area Hospital Monday 31 August 2026 The Northern Trust is preparing to reduce winter-pressure funding by 23%, target a 25% reduction in enhanced patient observation hours, move selected surgery between hospitals and seek the closure of Phone First as it attempts to make £50 million of savings this year. Millions more are being targeted through reductions in agency and locum spending, tighter controls on vacant posts, changes involving care-home costs and almost £600,00

Antrim Area Hospital The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has approved £50 million worth of savings as it attempts to balance its books by March 2027, amid warnings from trade unions about the potential impact on patients, services and an already stretched workforce. The savings plan was approved by Trust board members at a meeting at Antrim Area Hospital on Thursday (August 27), with members reminded that the organisation has a statutory duty to break even by the end of

The debate continues around the allocation of medical services between the Northern Trust’s Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital. Inset: Dr Eunice Minford, clinical director of surgery Clinical director tells Trust board safety cannot be guaranteed if service reaches a ‘point of collapse’ A leading consultant surgeon has warned that the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s current emergency general surgery model is “fragile”, as she set out the case for consolidating

General and colorectal surgeon Damian McKay, NI representative for the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI) Monday 24 August 2026 A leading Northern Ireland surgeon has warned that prolonged delay over the future of emergency general surgery at Causeway Hospital would place already stretched clinical teams under increasing pressure — as he revealed that he and colleagues sought the intervention of three major surgical associations following even

Entrance to Causeway Hospital site in Coleraine. Three leading surgical organisations have written to Northern Ireland’s new Health Minister Robbie Butler MLA warning that further delays to reforming emergency general surgery risk worsening workforce pressures, limiting access to care and widening inequalities in patient outcomes. The intervention comes amid continuing debate over the future configuration of emergency general surgery in Northern Ireland, including the Norther

A Co Antrim beautician has received a suspended prison sentence and fines totalling £3,600 after being convicted of unlawfully possessing prescription medicines intended for sale or supply from an aesthetics clinic operating at her home. Nadine Poole, 39, of Whitehill Lodge, Lisburn, was sentenced at Lisburn Magistrates’ Court after previously being found guilty of 12 offences under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 and a further offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

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

Northern Ireland’s newly appointed Health Minister Robbie Butler Northern Ireland’s allied health professions have told newly appointed Health Minister Robbie Butler that they can provide “many of the solutions” needed by the health service, as he takes up the role at what their representative body describes as a critical point for health and social care. The Allied Health Professions Federation Northern Ireland (AHPFNI) welcomed Mr Butler’s appointment but made clear that si

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

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

Mike Nesbitt MLA Mike Nesbitt has resigned as Northern Ireland’s Health Minister following a major political dispute with Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows over emergency general surgery at Causeway Hospital. In a strongly worded resignation letter sent to Mr Burrows on Tuesday evening, Mr Nesbitt said the UUP leader had created “shock waves” across the health and social care system by publicly backing the retention of emergency surgery at the Coleraine hospital. The f

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

Patients and ambulance crews across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from a major renewal of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service fleet, with 59 heavily used operational vehicles being replaced. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has officially launched 23 new Accident and Emergency ambulances as part of the programme, which will also see 22 Patient Transport Service (PTS) vehicles and 14 Rapid Response Vehicles replaced. The new ambulances and response vehicles are replacing

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Professor Mark Taylor with the Belfast Trust Validation Team People waiting for hospital treatment in Northern Ireland are being urged to keep their contact details and medical information up to date as part of a renewed effort to reduce lengthy waiting lists and ensure appointments are not wasted. The appeal comes after Health Minister Mike Nesbitt visited the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust’s Validation Team at Belfast City Hospital, w