NEWS

Inset: Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan, chair of Northern Ireland Health Committee Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan has said the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol would help to save lives and reduce alcohol-related harm, after Stormont’s Health Committee agreed to formally back proposed legislation. The North Antrim MLA, who chairs the Assembly’s Health Committee, was speaking after members heard detailed evidence on the impact of excessive alcohol consumption

Staff members at Archway Community Mental Health Service pictured with the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has strengthened its commitment to community-based mental health care with the opening of new bespoke facilities in Carrickfergus. The newly launched Archway Community Mental Health Service , located within the grounds of Carrickfergus Health Centre, provides assessment, diagnosis and treatment for individuals experiencing mental

Catherine Sherry, a 42-year-old mother from Co Armagh, died after being forced to travel to London for treatment that was available around 60 miles away in Dublin Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is to write to the Health Ministers in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to seek progress on an all-Ireland provision of CAR T-cell therapy. The move follows a successful motion brought forward by Sinn Féin councillor Leanne Peacock at the council’s Corporate

A new free Digital Skills training programme aimed at people who are deaf or have hearing loss is being rolled out across Northern Ireland, with accessible sessions taking place in local libraries throughout February and March. The initiative, delivered by AdaptNI and supported by the Department of Finance, is designed to tackle digital exclusion by providing deaf-aware, visual and practical training tailored to the everyday needs of people who often face barriers when acces

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has backed a motion supporting the use of silent fireworks at council events and on council-owned property. The motion was proposed by Antrim DUP Councillor Paul Dunlop BEM at a meeting of the council in Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey, on Monday evening. Cllr Dunlop asked the council to note the “negative impact” the noise of fireworks can have on children, pets and livestock, and called for a council-led campaign to raise awareness of

(L-R) Professor Mark Lawler, Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s University Belfast and Co-Lead of the eHealth Hub for Cancer; Margaret Grayson, Patient Advocate, Northern Ireland Cancer Research Consumer Forum (NICRCF); Minister of Health for Northern Ireland, Mike Nesbitt; Miriam Staunton, Chairperson, United Cancer Advocates Network Ireland (UCAN); and Professor Aedin Culhane, Professor of Cancer at University of Limerick and Programme Co-Lead of the eHealth Hub for Can

The derelict Crumlin Road Courthouse in Belfast Plans to transform Belfast’s historic Crumlin Road Courthouse into a Neurodiversity Campus have reached an important milestone after a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) was formally accepted by planners at Belfast City Hall. The PAN, submitted by BBE (NI) Ltd and considered on Monday 26 January, relates to the future redevelopment of the long-derelict courthouse on the Crumlin Road, a landmark building that has stood vacant a

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston has raised profound concerns about the state of Northern Ireland’s health service, using a tragic local case to highlight what he described as systemic failures in ambulance response policy. Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, January 20, Mr Gaston said the Department of Health had become “by far the most frustrating Department” he had dealt with during his first 19 months as an MLA, accusing it of ignoring Assembly contributions, delayi

Claire McCleery, JAM Card Director (centre) at the Housing Centre customer reception with Rosanna McSorley (left) and June McGrath from the Housing Executive’s Tenancy Support and Sustainment team The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has reaffirmed its commitment to being a JAM Card-friendly organisation as part of the NOW Group’s JAMuary awareness campaign this month, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve accessibility and inclusion for customers across its services. The

Back in the Game Ballymena representatives Ian Getty (right) and Gary McFetridge (left with Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Councillor Jackson Minford Back in the Game Ballymena has underlined the importance of community connection and men’s mental wellbeing after attending a major wellbeing event in Ballymena. The local group was invited to take part in the annual ‘Wellbeing Monday’ event, hosted by Radius and Triangle Housing Associations, working in partnership with Turning P

Northern Ireland has recorded its highest number of house fire fatalities in a quarter of a century, prompting an urgent appeal from the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) for the public to prioritise home fire safety and check on vulnerable loved ones and neighbours. Newly released figures show that 2025 saw 16 people lose their lives in house fires, the highest annual total since 1999. The data highlights stark and preventable risks, with smoking materials respo

Helping to launch the new initiatives alongside Titanic Belfast’s Head of Operations, Paula Bradley is Niamh Givens. Titanic Belfast has unveiled a range of new accessibility initiatives aimed at ensuring every visitor can enjoy the world-renowned attraction in a comfortable, welcoming and inclusive environment. The new measures include the introduction of Sensory Backpacks and Quiet Sessions, further strengthening the attraction’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion fo

Planning permission has been approved for the construction of a £3.5 million cancer support centre at Antrim Hospital, members of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust board have been told. Paddy Graffin, the Northern Trust’s Divisional Director of Infrastructure, informed members at a meeting held at Antrim Hospital on Thursday that permission has been granted by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for the proposed new facility. The centre is being funded through a p

Norovirus cases across the UK have surged by more than 60% in the past fortnight, prompting renewed public health warnings from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), particularly as infections rise sharply among older adults and hospital outbreaks increase. The latest UKHSA weekly surveillance report for the 2025/26 season shows that norovirus laboratory reports between 5 and 18 January 2026 were 61.1% higher than the previous two-week period and 60% higher than the five-sea

Robin Swann MP speaking in the House of Commons South Antrim MP Robin Swann has warned that thousands of vulnerable people in Northern Ireland could lose vital support as a result of a looming “funding cliff-edge” linked to changes in Government funding streams. Mr Swann raised the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, pressing the Government on the potential impact of the transition away from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which he said would result

Digitally composed views of the Spa at the Amphitheatre, Carrickfergus, once refurbishment is completed. A £1 million refurbishment of the Spa at Carrickfergus Amphitheatre is now underway, marking a major investment in local leisure and wellbeing facilities and reinforcing the venue’s long-term role at the heart of the community. The Spa area has closed to the public to allow essential works to begin on what council officials have described as a “Spa-tacular” upgrade. Once c

(L-R) Samantha Peden, Cullybackey Community Partnership; Valerie Guthrie, Alzheimer’s UK; Daniel McCurdy, Libraries NI; Marjorie Hawkins, Chair MEA Loneliness Network; Debbie Chestnutt, Good Morning Ballymena; Sabrina Lynn, NHSCT. (Image: Bernie McAllister) Four individuals have been formally recognised for their commitment to tackling loneliness and social isolation across Mid and East Antrim, as the local Loneliness Network welcomed four new Loneliness Champions. Daniel McC

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt at South West Acute Hospital (SWAH). Waiting times for hip and knee replacement surgery at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) have reduced significantly, according to the Department of Health, as part of wider efforts to expand elective capacity and improve patient access across Northern Ireland. The progress follows the introduction of a regional orthopaedic programme at SWAH, combining the use of independent sector capacity with improved theat

Around 700 senior pupils at St Louis Grammar School in Ballymena took part in a powerful and emotive road safety experience this month as the Ballymena Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT) attended the award-winning Roadsafe Roadshow. The event, held on Thursday, January 15, brought together the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS), the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and a range of partner organisations to deliver a hard-h

(L-R) Valeria Watts, Interim Chief Executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, David Nichol, HSENI Board Member, Elise Logan, Lead Environmental Health Officer,  Laura Hughes, HSENI Inspector,  Mayor Councillor Jackson Miniford, HSENI Deputy Chief Executive Nicola Monson, Clement Kennedy, Environmental Health Manager, John McVeigh, Interim Director of Community at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and HSENI Chief Executive Robert Kidd. Mid and East Antrim Borough Coun