NEWS

Some of the Farm Families Health Checks Team at Balmoral Show earlier this year. Farm Families Health Checks will return to livestock marts across Northern Ireland this January, continuing its mission to bring vital healthcare directly to farming families following a year of significant impact and national recognition. As 2025 draws to a close, the team has highlighted its continued commitment to improving health and wellbeing across rural and farming communities. The award-w

Pictured at the recent launch of the Prescribe A Mile initiative in Coleraine, including service users, James Cannie, Consultant Respiratory Physician at Causeway Hospital and Darren French, Interim Head of Service Cardiac at Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke. A new health and wellbeing initiative designed to help people become more active is now under way in Coleraine, encouraging residents and patients alike to take small, manageable steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

Cahal Bradley, a charge nurse based at Antrim Area Hospital As families across Northern Ireland prepare to gather for Christmas and New Year, a frontline nurse at Antrim Area Hospital has appealed to the public to take simple but meaningful steps to protect loved ones, vulnerable patients and overstretched health services. Cahal Bradley, a charge nurse based at Antrim Area Hospital , said small acts of consideration — such as staying at home when unwell and planning ahead — c

Sara Smyth, a clinical sister in Antrim Area Hospital Emergency Department Healthcare staff across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Trust) are urging the public to treat frontline workers with respect and understanding, as new figures reveal a sharp rise in violence and aggression towards staff. With Emergency Departments becoming increasingly busy and wider health services under sustained pressure, the Trust says incidents of abuse are placing further stra

Yvonne Carson, Northern Trust, Rural Health and Wellbeing Manager, Valerie Cubitt, Eurospar, Cullybackey, Leona Rock, Community Staff Nurse, Cullybackey Medical Practice, Marion Orr, District Nursing Coach, Joanne Brown Kerr, Development Officer, Bann Maine West with volunteers Helen and Samantha from Cullybackey Community Partnership. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has joined forces with Bann Maine West Community Cluster to bring festive cheer to some of the most

Pictured at the Northern Trust Recovery College 10-year-anniversary event are Jacqui Armstrong, Transformation Lead for Intermediate Care and Integrated Discharge, Petra Corr, Director of Mental Health, Learning Disability and Psychological Services, Janice Gray, Service Manager, Joy Hammond, Head of Service, Mental Health & Recovery Services and Jen Hood, Interim Assistant Director. The Northern Trust Recovery College is marking a decade of supporting mental health and wellb

Ulster Unionist MLA Jon Burrows has paid warm tribute to the people of North Antrim after what he described as an “overwhelming” response to this year’s Christmas Appeal in aid of the Macmillan Unit at Antrim Area Hospital. Mr Burrows said he was “totally blown away by the generosity” shown by local residents, businesses, and community groups, whose contributions will provide vital support to the specialist palliative care facility. The annual appeal remains a cherished tra

Midwife Shelley Sheppard and Sister Elaine O’Boyle from Antrim Area Hospital maternity team The Northern Trust has enhanced its maternity services to better support autistic women and neurodivergent families, becoming the first maternity team in Northern Ireland to receive an autism-friendly accreditation. The Trust’s maternity team has implemented a series of improvements designed to make pregnancy, birth and early parenting more accessible, calmer and more personalised for

Northern Trust’s Farm Families Health Check team The pioneering work of Northern Trust’s Farm Families Health Check team has been recognised at the 2025 NI Farming Awards, with the programme receiving the prestigious Farm Safety Affiliate Award. The accolade highlights the team’s commitment to bringing accessible healthcare directly into the heart of rural communities, and its efforts to raise awareness of how personal health is closely linked to farm safety. For years, the F

(L-R) Northern Trust Day Opportunitues volunteers Lee, Kerry, Shop Manager Shirley Kearney, Chris, Annette and Sandra. A group of dedicated volunteers from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s Day Opportunities service are being celebrated for their commitment to supporting a local charity shop in the heart of Carrickfergus. Lee, Kerry, Chris, Annette and Sandra – described as the “fab five” – give up their time each week to volunteer at the Action Cancer store, where

Pictured are Anne O’Reilly, Chairperson Northern Trust, Jackie Burns, Ethel Glasgow, Iris Burns and Suzanne Pullins Chief Executive Northern Trust Cookstown woman and former nurse Ethel Glasgow, aged 93, has been announced as the winner of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s 2025 Christmas card competition, after her hand-drawn festive design captured the hearts of judges. Mrs Glasgow, who attends Cookstown Day Centre, created a charming winter scene featuring a robin

The team from The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre celebrate success at the GNI Mag awards. The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre has been recognised for its vital work supporting victims of sexual violence, winning the Health and Wellbeing Award at this year’s GNI Mag Awards in Belfast. The annual ceremony celebrates individuals, organisations, and services that champion inclusivity and play a significant role in improving the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing

Back row: Dr Conor O’Neill, Ward Sister Karen Devlin, Lead Nurse Paediatrics and Neonatology, Shirley Montgomery, Dr Lynne McFetridge, Dr Aiveen Higgins, middle row, physiotherapist, Lisa Rainey, TinyLife Family Support Worker, Charlene McKee, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Kathie Dobbin, Bliss Chief Executive, Caroline Lee-Davey, Tinylife Chief Executive, Joanne Morgan, front row, Enhanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Suzie Forbes, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner

A new partnership between the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and charity organisation Pets as Therapy is helping bring comfort, companionship and emotional support to patients through regular therapeutic pet visits in hospital wards. As part of the initiative, therapy dogs Pickle, Charlie and Bailey – accompanied by their volunteer owners – have begun visiting patients in a number of specialist units at Antrim Area Hospital. Gillian and her golden retriever-poodle

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is now looking for new Community Health and Wellbeing Champions to join its volunteer community. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has launched a new volunteer drive, appealing to members of the public with a passion for improving health outcomes in their local communities. The Trust is now seeking Community Health and Wellbeing Champions who will work alongside staff to help share information, services and resources aimed at

L-R Health Minister Mike Nesbitt; Dr Eddie Gibson, Consultant Radiologist & Clinical Director; Lynne McCartney, Director of Surgery and Clinical Services (Interim). Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has officially opened a new state-of-the-art MRI scanner unit at Causeway Hospital, marking a major milestone in diagnostic services for the North Coast. The investment will significantly increase imaging capacity across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, enabling faster diagn

L-R Claire McNair, Ballyclare Ladies Farm Forum, Ashleigh Magee, Gillian Dawson, Suzanne Pullins, Interim Chief Executive, NHSCT, Yvonne Carson, Rural Health and Wellbeing Manager, NHSCT and Anna Simms, Ballyclare Ladies Farm Forum, More than sixty women from across rural communities gathered at Gleno Young Farmers Hall to mark the International Day of Rural Women, at an event organised by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) in partnership with Ballyclare Ladies

Dr Emily McIntosh, a Care of the Elderly Consultant based at the Causeway Hospital With flu-related hospital attendances already rising, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust is calling on the public to take simple steps to protect themselves and help reduce growing pressure on local health services this winter. Dr Emily McIntosh, a Care of the Elderly Consultant at Causeway Hospital , said the Trust is seeing a concerning spike in flu cases far earlier in the season. “We

From L-R: Jacinta McAtamney (BSO NIPACS+ Senior Project Manager), Dr. Anton Collins (Consultant Radiologist and SRO of NIPACS+ Programme), Eddie Ritson (DHCNI Director of Digital Transformation & Innovation), Mike Nesbitt (Minister of Health), Joanne Allison (BSO NIPACS+ Programme Manager), Melissa Cochrane (BSO Head of Programme Delivery) Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has hailed the success of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) project transforming X-ray diagnostics across North

Pictured at the opening of the Infinity Room are Noah’s parents Corrina and Johnny McAleese, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Leona Laverty, Bereavement Co-Ordinator, Northern Trust. A new bereavement support space, created in memory of a Dunloy toddler who tragically lost his life in a farming accident, has officially opened at Causeway Hospital. The Infinity Room, named in honour of two-year-old Noah McAleese and his love of Toy Story, was opened this week by Noah’s parents