NEWS

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

Ballymena Health and Care Centre Scaffolding that has surrounded Ballymena Health and Care Centre for around seven months is expected to be soon removed as work continues to permanently resolve problems with the building’s roof capping system. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust confirmed the timetable to Love Ballymena after local people questioned how long the prominent structure would remain around the multimillion-pound healthcare facility off Cushendall Road. Storm

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

Cheryl Lamont, pictured with her mother, Nan McVicker, who has received care through the Hospital at Home programme. A 93-year-old woman has been able to receive hospital-level treatment in familiar surroundings as the Northern Health and Social Care Trust expands its Hospital at Home service into more care homes and people’s own homes. Nan McVicker’s family said they “couldn’t commend it highly enough” after consultants visited her at home and provided the intravenous medica

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

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

(L-R): Kerry Anderson (Head of Fundraising Air Ambulance NI), Jean Penney, Tristan Penney (Jean’s Grandson). A Larne woman has marked her 90th birthday by helping to keep a vital emergency service in the air — asking family and friends to support Air Ambulance NI instead of buying her gifts. Jean Penney chose the charity because of her family’s farming connections and her understanding of how quickly a serious accident can happen in a rural setting. Farming-related incidents

Victoria Craig pictured with her daughter Catherine A neonatal nurse whose daughter was born almost 12 weeks early has transformed her experience as a parent into a career supporting babies and families — and research that could help others cope with the trauma of neonatal care. Victoria Craig, Neonatal Clinical Educator at Antrim Area Hospital, graduated from Queen’s University earlier this year with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Her research examined practical techniques th

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

Dáithí Mac Gabhann as he continues his recovery in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Wednesday, 5 August 2026 Someone in the UK will die today waiting for an organ transplant. That stark reality is behind a new appeal from the Public Health Agency (PHA), which is urging people across Northern Ireland to register their organ donation decision—and, just as importantly, make sure their family knows what they want. The campaign supports a UK-wide challenge by NHS Blood and Transplant to encour

People with time to spare and a passion for helping others are being invited to volunteer in a new role designed to make visits to Antrim Area Hospital’s Emergency Department a little less daunting. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is recruiting Emergency Department Companion Volunteers to provide comfort, reassurance and practical support to patients and their families while they wait for assessment or treatment. The initiative aims to improve the experience of peop

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

Northern Ireland dentists working in General Dental Services (GDS) saw their average taxable income rise by almost 14% during 2024/25, according to newly published official figures. The latest estimates show the average taxable income for self-employed NHS dentists increased from £77,000 in 2023/24 to £87,600 in 2024/25 — a statistically significant increase of 13.7%. The figures, published by NHS England, provide an insight into the earnings and business costs of self-employ

Thomas Haighton, manager of Hawthorns Adult Centre in Carrickfergus, pictured with service users Julia, Lauren and Roy who between them have accumulated almost 150 years of attendance at the centre. Five decades of friendship, opportunity and inclusion were celebrated this week as Hawthorns Adult Centre in Carrickfergus marked its 50th anniversary with service users, families and staff reflecting on a remarkable journey. The centre, which first opened in July 1976, has suppor

A new once-daily tablet that could improve the lives of people living with a serious inherited heart condition is being considered for use in Northern Ireland after receiving approval for NHS patients in England. Aficamten, marketed as MYQORZO, has been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and simultaneously recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for adults with symptomatic obstructive hypertrophic c