NEWS

Wednesday 16 September 2026 Northern Ireland has just 154 registered dental hygienists — around half the number per head of population recorded in England — as North Antrim MP Jim Allister calls for urgent action to expand training and make greater use of hygienists within Health Service dentistry. The TUV leader has challenged Health Minister Robbie Butler after being contacted by dental professionals concerned that there is no dental hygiene training course available in Nor

Anne Irwin, Regional President; Mary Waide, National Vice President; and Anne McLarnon, Regional Vice President; are pictured at the launch of a volunteer recruitment campaign which aims to encourage people from across the Region to join the Society and make a difference in their local communities. Friday 18 September 2026 People across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to give some of their time to supporting people and families experiencing poverty and social exclusion,

(L-R) Caroline McKenna, Foodies Spokesperson, Eimear O'Sullivan, Corporate Affairs Director Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland Primary schools across County Antrim can now register for a new free food education programme aimed at helping young children build healthy eating habits and become more confident about fruit and vegetables. Lidl Foodies is open to schools across Northern Ireland and provides teachers of children aged four to seven with ready-made lesson plans, activit

Hannah Buchanan, Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist Blood cancer can affect people of all ages and its symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for other illnesses, prompting the Northern Health and Social Care Trust to urge people to know the warning signs and seek medical advice if something does not feel right. September marks Blood Cancer Awareness Month, with health professionals using the campaign to highlight symptoms including unusual bruising or bleeding, extreme tire

Together for Families launch at St Comgall's Belfast. L-R: Paul Sweeney, Northern Ireland Chair, The National Lottery Community Fund; Naomi Long MLA Minister of Justice; Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland Director, The National Lottery Community Fund; Robbie Butler MLA Minister of Health; Jacinta Linden, Together for Families Co-Director; Eilis McDaniel, Director of Social Care Reform, Department of Health; Dame Julia Cleverdon, Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund, Emma Li

Wednesday 16 September 2026 A Northern Ireland council has “strongly disagreed” with the proposed timetable for tougher air pollution limits, while councillors have raised concerns that additional costs could ultimately fall on ratepayers. Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council’s Environment and Sustainability Committee has considered its response to a Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) consultation on plans to tighten legal limits for harmful part

Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena Wednesday 16 September 2026 Mid and East Antrim councillors have backed plans to restore bank holiday opening at the borough’s three main leisure centres, giving members access to facilities in Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus on public holidays. The council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee, meeting at The Braid in Ballymena on Tuesday evening, approved the move, which would see the centres open from 8am until 4pm on bank h

Wednesday 16 September 2026 Fewer than half of people in Northern Ireland are now registered with a dentist for publicly funded care after more than 389,000 patient registrations disappeared in less than three years, a Department of Health-commissioned independent review has revealed. The report warns publicly funded dentistry may be “approaching a tipping point” and concludes current levels of public sector remuneration are unlikely to remain sufficient to attract and retain

Wednesday 16 September 2026 Young men and boys across Northern Ireland are being urged to challenge misogyny in group chats, gaming platforms and social media as new figures show increases in reports of online stalking, harassment, blackmail and intimate image abuse. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, police recorded 1,971 reports of online stalking and harassment — a 12% increase on the previous year — alongside 591 reports of online blackmail, up 11%, and 110 reports i

Tuesday 15 September 2026 Nearly 8,000 Baby Loss Certificates have been issued to bereaved parents and families in Northern Ireland in the first four months of a scheme designed to formally recognise babies lost before 24 weeks of pregnancy. The Baby Loss Certificate Scheme launched in June 2026, offering families a tangible acknowledgement of a loss which historically may not have been formally recorded. Certificates are available to anyone who has experienced the loss of a

Denny Smoked and Unsmoked Bacon Rashers, Carved Ham Slices and Carved Wafer Thin Ham Slices. Bacon made without nitrites is being introduced to Northern Ireland supermarket shelves as Denny launches a four-product range, with ham slices due to follow in October. The rollout began with smoked and unsmoked bacon rashers in Musgrave stores on Saturday 12 September. Both products are scheduled to reach Tesco stores in Northern Ireland on Monday 21 September. Carved Ham Slices and

Baby Saoirse with proud parents Emma Walsh and Adam Martin Baby Saoirse has become the first baby born in Antrim Area Hospital’s new £5.7 million Midwifery-Led Unit, which gives women with straightforward pregnancies another choice over how they give birth. Parents Emma Walsh and Adam Martin welcomed their daughter safely on Friday 11 September, marking the first birth in the purpose-built facility. For Emma, the experience was everything she had hoped for: “The whole experie

Asda Community and Customer Champion Ashley with ladies from the Antrim Community Support Hub Women from Antrim Community Support Hub have helped raise £116 for breast cancer charities during a special afternoon tea at Asda Antrim. The gathering brought members of the local group together for an afternoon of conversation, refreshments and fundraising as Asda marks 30 years of its Tickled Pink campaign. Friendship and fundraising Tickled Pink raises money to support the breast

Almost 900 complaints were made to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust during a nine-month period, as new figures reveal a sharp rise in complaints across Northern Ireland’s health service. The Northern Trust recorded 896 complaints between April and December 2025 — 17% of the 5,222 received by all six Health and Social Care Trusts, including the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Across Northern Ireland, the total was up by 1,208 — or 30% — from 4,014 during the same

Students heading into Freshers’ Week are being urged to look out for each other and know when to call for emergency help as universities welcome a new intake across Northern Ireland. Alcohol and drug charity ASCERT says the start of university life can bring new friendships, nights out and social events, but for some young people it may also be the first time they have consumed alcohol or faced pressure to drink more — or more quickly — than they normally would. The charity i

Fewer than one in three cancer patients in Northern Ireland began treatment within the recommended 62 days following an urgent GP referral in the first three months of 2026, newly corrected figures have revealed. The revised Department of Health data shows just 29.6% of patients started their first definitive cancer treatment within 62 days between January and March — against the official target of at least 95%. Macmillan Cancer Support described the figures as a “worrying pi

Inset: North Antrim MP Jim Allister Ballymena GP practices face a wait until at least 2029 for the rollout of Multi-Disciplinary Teams designed to ease pressure on doctors and give patients greater access to physiotherapy, mental health and social work support. North Antrim MP Jim Allister has called for the timetable to be reconsidered after being contacted by local GPs concerned that Ballymena remains without the additional primary care support. Mr Allister subsequently rai

Inset: TUV councillor Jonathan McAuley TUV councillor Jonathan McAuley has expressed disappointment over what he says is a lack of progress by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on exploring alternatives to traditional fireworks at its Halloween events. The councillor raised the issue again during September’s Environmental Services Committee meeting, almost a year after suggesting that options including silent fireworks and drone shows should be considered. Concerns ove

Northern Ireland’s lowest-earning households are being left with an average of just £53.17 a week after taxes and basic household spending, new research has revealed. The latest Northern Ireland Household Expenditure Tracker from the Consumer Council shows some improvement in household finances at the beginning of 2026 — but spending power remains dramatically below where it was five years ago. For the lowest-income quarter of households, discretionary income has fallen by 35

People affected by cancer are set to receive more practical, emotional and wellbeing support closer to home as a £1.25 million funding scheme opens to charities and community organisations across Northern Ireland. Health Minister Robbie Butler and Macmillan Cancer Support have confirmed a second year of the Cancer Charities Grant Scheme, with applications opening today, Thursday 10 September. The scheme is aimed at supporting services beyond hospital treatment — from rehabili