NEWS

Victoria Craig from Broughshane, graduated on Monday, receiving her PhD in Nursing at Queen's When Catherine Craig was born 12 weeks early at Antrim Area Hospital in 2006, her mother Victoria had no idea that the frightening weeks which followed would shape the rest of her life. The tiny baby arrived at just 28 weeks and one day gestation following an emergency caesarean section and would spend the next 10 weeks in the hospital’s Neonatal Unit fighting through the earliest da

Trade union Unison has voiced concern over healthcare workers undertaking additional hours through staffing “bank arrangements”. Speaking at a meeting of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust Board at Antrim Hospital on Thursday, Unison official James Large acknowledged the financial pressures facing health and social care trusts across Northern Ireland. “We increasingly hear concerns that staff are being expected and encouraged to undertake additional hours through bank

For years, people in Northern Ireland living with severe obesity have faced a reality patients elsewhere in the UK did not. There was no specialist NHS obesity management service. There was no NHS bariatric surgery programme. For many, the options were limited to paying privately, travelling abroad for treatment or trying to manage alone. Now, after years of pressure from clinicians, patients and campaigners, Northern Ireland is finally preparing to launch its first dedicated

The interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has offered reassurance to its international workers following recent civil unrest across Northern Ireland. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust Board at Antrim Hospital on Thursday morning, 25 June, Suzanne Pullins acknowledged the difficulties experienced by Trust staff during this period, particularly colleagues from the international community. “There is no place for racism in our society. I want to re

Melissa Thompson graduates from Queen's with a BSW in Social Work A promise made to her late father, a childhood shaped by care and adoption, and the determination to build a better future for her young son have all come together for one Northern Ireland graduate as she celebrates achieving a lifelong ambition. Today, Saturday 27 June, Melissa Thompson graduates with a Bachelor of Social Work from Queen’s University Belfast, fulfilling a dream she says began when she was just

People living with obesity in Northern Ireland will soon be able to refer themselves directly into NHS weight management services without needing to wait for a GP appointment, under a major new UK-wide programme backed by £85 million in government and industry funding. The move forms part of a series of pioneering projects designed to transform how obesity care is delivered across the UK, using technology, digital services and community-based support to make help easier and f

Ballymena couple Joy and David Wright “It gives you a spark and a spring in your step, it’s just amazing.” That is how a Ballymena couple describe the experience of providing short break foster care for children with disabilities as they encourage others across Northern Ireland to consider opening their homes to children and families in need of support. David and Joy Wright have seen first-hand the difference short break fostering can make — not only for children with disabil

The interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has described today as “quite a challenging day” for operational teams as consultants and specialist doctors took part in 24-hour industrial action. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust Board at Antrim Hospital on Thursday morning, Suzanne Pullins acknowledged colleagues taking part in the strike and thanked everyone who had worked to make Northern Trust services “as safe as possible today”. “We never know

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Patients across Northern Ireland are being urged to attend appointments as normal despite planned industrial action by doctors over the coming days, with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt insisting that more than 90% of Health and Social Care services will continue as scheduled. The reassurance comes ahead of a 24-hour period of industrial action by consultants and Specialist and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors, due to begin at 7am on Thursday 25 Ju

Families across Northern Ireland who have experienced the loss of a baby before 24 weeks of pregnancy can now apply for an official Baby Loss Certificate, marking a significant change in how early pregnancy loss is formally recognised. The new scheme, which has now gone live following the passing of the Baby Loss Certificate Regulations in the Northern Ireland Assembly, allows parents to obtain official recognition of a loss that, for many, has previously gone unacknowledged

Men in Northern Ireland diagnosed with prostate cancer could soon benefit from faster access to advanced diagnostic imaging closer to home, following confirmation that progress is being made towards establishing a local PSMA PET-CT scanning service. North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has welcomed confirmation from the Minister of Health that work is advancing to deliver the specialist service in Northern Ireland, a move that could spare some patients the need to travel elsewhere in

Dr Nevan Joyce, Stroke Consultant at Antrim Area Hospital, and Stroke Liaison Nurse, Emma McAllister. A stroke can happen without warning, and every minute counts when it does. Health professionals across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust are urging people to recognise the signs of a stroke and seek emergency medical help immediately, warning that delays in treatment can have life-changing consequences. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is int

Muckamore Abbey Hospital A landmark public inquiry into abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital has concluded that vulnerable patients were abused, families were repeatedly let down, and a series of systemic failures across Northern Ireland’s health and social care system allowed poor practice to continue unchecked for years. The final report of the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry, published on Thursday, delivers a stark verdict on the treatment of people with learning disabilitie

Pictured at the announcement of Air Ambulance NI’s purchase of its first helicopter and launching the charity's Lift off Together Campaign are: Dr Nigel Ruddell (Medical Director, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service), the first AANI patient, Conor McMullan and Dr David McManus (Chair AANI) with the new helicopter that’s due to take flight as the Air Ambulance NI’s primary helicopter by late Summer 2026. Air Ambulance Northern Ireland is preparing for a major new chapter in its

Sabrina Lynn, Head of Service, Louise Gillespie, Programme Delivery Officer, Suzanne Pullins, Northern Trust Chief Executive, and Lynsey McVitty, Health and Wellbeing Locality Lead, prepare to cut the celebration cake at the ‘thank you’ event. Hundreds of patients and service users across Northern Ireland benefit every year from the time, compassion and dedication of volunteers working within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust — and this week those volunteers were reco

(L-R) Sarah McLaughlin, Executive Director for Health, and Catriona Delargy, IMPACTAgewell Team Leader, Agewell Partnership For many older people across Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus, support for better health and wellbeing is increasingly being found not just in a doctor’s surgery, but through local community groups, advice services and social activities designed to reduce isolation and improve quality of life. That approach was placed firmly in the spotlight this month

Leanne Richmond, Clinical Sister in the Neonatal Unit at Antrim Area Hospital. A baby’s earliest experiences can have a profound impact on their future emotional wellbeing, according to healthcare professionals at Antrim Area Hospital, who are using Infant Mental Health Awareness Week to highlight the lifelong importance of strong early relationships. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is raising awareness of how simple but meaningful interactions between babies and th

Alcohol-related deaths in Northern Ireland remain at concerning levels, with health officials and addiction specialists warning that many people may be drinking more than they realise — particularly at home. As Northern Ireland Alcohol Awareness Week gets underway on Monday, 15 June, the Public Health Agency (PHA), community pharmacy teams and alcohol support organisations are urging people to take a closer look at their drinking habits and consider making small changes that

Pictured (L-R), Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation Cheryl Robinson, Connie Taylor who spoke at the Gift of Life event about her organ transplant, Stacey McKnight (AAH Theatres Ward Manager) Nisa Francis, Lead Nurse Northern Ireland Organ Donation Services Team, Specialist Nurse for Organ Donation Jackie Heasley, Dr Janet Gray MBE, Chair of the Northern Trust’s Organ Donation Committee and Dr Keith Oakes, Consultant Anaesthetist and Intensivist. An 18-year-old from Carrickfer

Thousands of teenagers and young adults across Northern Ireland are set to be offered protection against a potentially life-threatening disease this summer, after the Health Minister announced a new vaccination programme targeting those considered most at risk of Meningococcal B (MenB). The one-off programme, expected to begin between mid and late July, follows multiple cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) identified in South East England earlier this year and aims t