Department of Health

Undated handout photo issued by Carers NI of Louise Vance, 43, from Belfast, who provides unpaid care for her mother, who suffers from chronic heart and lung conditions and memory loss following a brain haemorrhage.

Unpaid carers save NI’s health service £5.8 billion a year, research suggests

A car park at Craigavon Area Hospital. The Department of Health has opened a consultation on reintroducing car parking fees in hospitals across Northern Ireland.

Political parties hit back at hospital parking fee proposals

Parking charges are currently due to end next May following the passing of a Bill by the Stormont Assembly before it collapsed last year

Public consultation launched on re-introducing hospital parking charges

Inflatable interactive experience used to visualise the various stages of bowel cancer, at the front Parliament Buildings at Stormont. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Northern Ireland political parties unite in pledge to stop bowel cancer deaths

Among the vaping proposals are restricting their sale in shops and clamping down on sweet flavours and bright packaging

Northern Ireland to be part of UK-wide tobacco and vaping consultation

Ambulances at the Antrim Area Hospital. Hospital waiting lists in Northern Ireland have risen by 185% in less than a decade.

Number waiting for first hospital appointment rises by 185% in under a decade

About 17,000 women in Northern Ireland will have their smear tests re-checked by the Southern health trust as part of a major review dating back to 2008

About 17,000 women in Northern Ireland to have smear tests re-checked

A doctor examines a patient; The decision by the Stormont Department of Health to cut GP funding by almost 7% in real terms is "astonishing", the BMA has said.

Departmental cut of 7% in GP funding ‘astonishing’ says BMA

Representatives from health trusts, general practice, community pharmacy and social care attended the summit on Wednesday

Winter health plan published with warning that patients will face delays

Daisy Hill hospital Newry has temporarily closed emergency surgery due to staff issues and patient safety concerns.

Call for removal of general surgery from Daisy Hill Hospital to be paused

Pro-life protestors and police officers at the 'United March For The Unborn' parade outside Craigavon Area Hospital on 30 September 2023.

PSNI: We won’t arrest clerics in abortion zone churches

The British Medical Association said an indicative ballot of members found 77% of consultants who responded said they were willing to take industrial action

Northern Ireland consultant doctors to vote on strike action over pay

A sister organisation of Abolish Abortion NI - the Camapign against RSE - organised a parade to the offices of Secretary of State Chris Heaton Harris in Belfast on 2 September to protest against his imposition of compulsory contraception and abortion lessons on all post-primary pupils in Northern Ireland.

PSNI to warn pro-life campaigners before parade to abortion clinic

Junior doctors and medical consultants on the picket line outside University College Hospital, London, amid their dispute with the government over pay. The Northern Ireland junior doctors committee (NIJDC) is now moving towards a membership ballot after the BMA said Mr May was not able to give them such assurances.

Junior doctors in Northern Ireland to vote on strike action over pay concerns

Craigavon Area Hospital. In the Southern Trust, zones will be at Craigavon Area Hospital and Daisy Hill Hospital. Photo by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye

Safe access zones at health settings to be introduced from Friday

Members of Unison on strike outside Craigavon Area Hospital in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland, as thousands of healthcare workers have begun day two of a 48-hour strike to call for pay parity with health workers in other parts of the UK, as well as increased funding for health services. Photo: Claudia Savage/PA Wire

Midwives having to use food banks as pay dispute continues, union says
Midwives in Northern Ireland are having to use food banks to deal with the cost-of-living crisis amid a pay dispute, a union representative has said.

NHS physiotherapists take part in a strike outside of University College Hospital in January in London, United Kingdom. Now physios in Northern Ireland are striknig for the first time ever this week. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Health, civil service and education workers set to strike

The Department of Health have issued a response after midwives and maternity support workers are to go on strike in Northern Ireland next week

Plans in place to minimise midwives strike action, says Department of Health

Hundreds of health workers are to launch a fresh strike in a dispute over pay

Unison health service members in Northern Ireland to strike over pay

The state of the health service in Northern Ireland would “embarrass a third world country”, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has said.
Photo: Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Department and SDLP leader Colum Eastwood differ on NHS woes

A patient in hospital

Health service in Northern Ireland would ’embarrass a third world country’

“Patients in Northern Ireland are suffering inexorable waits, their lives are on hold and this is simply unacceptable for everyone.” Pic Colm Lenaghan/ Pacemaker

Hospital waiting list figures ‘show system and staff under relentless strain’

Thousands of revellers outside Belfast City Hall celebrate at the stroke of midnight on December 31, 1999, as Northern Ireland welcomes in the new Millennium. Health officials voiced "serious concerns" that celebrations of the new millennium in Northern Ireland would lead to a major emergency incident

‘Serious concerns’ that NI millennium celebrations would trigger major emergency

Letters to editor

Letter: The Department of Health has been asleep at the wheel

Changes have been made at two GP practices in Northern Ireland

Important changes for patients at two GP practices in Northern Ireland

Barnardo’s NI received £69,218 for the Young Carers in Primary Schools project

35 organisations and charities in NI to avail of Support for Carers funding

The Department of Health cannot allocate the recommended level of funding to the mental health delivery plan Photo: PA

NI budget pressures impact on mental health strategy
Budget pressures forced “tough decisions” in the latest mental health delivery plan, the head of the Department of Health has said.

Day Procedure patients James Walker & Anne May with lead Nurse, Ann Kerrin

Trust treats 1000th endoscopy procedure patient

Campaigners during a rally calling for the restoration of full maternity services at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. Those who took part in the event on Saturday expressed fears that the ending of births at the hospital would lead to other services at the site not being viable. The recommendation to consolidate all hospital births in the Northern Trust area at the Antrim Hospital site was approved by the Department of Health last month. Photo by Jonathan McCambridge/PA Wire

Rally hears call for restoration of maternity services at Causeway Hospital

Campaigners during a rally calling for the restoration of full maternity services at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. Those who took part in the event on Saturday expressed fears that the ending of births at the hospital would lead to other services at the site not being viable. The recommendation to consolidate all hospital births in the Northern Trust area at the Antrim Hospital site was approved by the Department of Health last month. Photo Jonathan McCambridge/PA Wire

Rally hears call for restoration of maternity services at Causeway Hospital

A general view of the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine

Northern Trust discuss future of Causeway Hospital with campaign group

Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland since 2006, giving evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry at Dorland House in London, during its first investigation (Module 1) examining if the pandemic was properly planned for and "whether the UK was adequately ready for that eventuality"

NI Chief Medical Officer says Brexit preparations diverted pandemic planning

Belfast City Hall was lit up blue on Wednesday night to mark the 75th year of the National Health Service and its sister organisation in Northern Ireland, the HSC

Civic buildings in Northern Ireland lit up blue for NHS 75th anniversary

Paschal McKeown

Revamp free care home tests 'as a matter of urgency' says Age NI

An anti-abortion protest taking place in the Castle Lane / Cornmarket area of Belfast in 2021

Abortion 'safe zones' in Northern Ireland by September after legislation passed

Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride

We should not let NHS ‘slip away’ says Chief medical officer

Cancer Focus NI CEO Richard Spratt was speaking after the latest figures showed treatment targets in the health service are continuing being missed.

Cancer charity chief hits out at defunct Stormont ‘putting patients at risk’

The average number of prescriptions a year in Northern Ireland is 21 for every person, with more than 43 million prescriptions issued

Cost of prescribing medicines in Northern Ireland exceeds £800m a year

Jacquie Richardson, chief executive of HIV charity Positive Life, who has said civil servants should not have to step in to complete the draft sexual health plan. Photo: Brown O'Connor Communications/PA Wire

Sexual health plan for NI blocked by absence of government, charity warns

Auditor general, Dorinnia Carville, has published the third in a series of overview reports summarising the Northern Ireland Executive’s expenditure in response to the public health emergency.

Audit Office: Cost of Covid in NI almost £8bn

Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry

Daisy Hill: A&E and other services 'stabilised' for summer months

Grosvenor Dental Care, based at Grosvenor Road in West Belfast, has advised the Department of Health’s Business Services Organisation that after long and careful review of the sustainability of the service and having explored all other possible options, it has regrettably reached the decision to cease operations and will close in October 2023

5,000 NHS patients shocked as Belfast dental practice to close following review

More than 4,000 NI children are waiting for social care assessment, with many waiting more than a year

Report highlights concerns on social care for Northern Ireland children

Demand for children's mental health services in Northern Ireland has doubled since the start of the pandemic.

Demand for child mental health services doubled since pandemic

Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman Margaret Kelly. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

‘System failings’ hit waiting list patients in Northern Ireland

Morning View

Editorial: Nursing situation in NI is not just due to lack of overall UK funding

Paul Givan (former DUP First Minister) has spoken out against the use of RoI money to train nurses in NI

'UK govt should be embarrassed by fact Republic is funding NI nurses'

A recent protest was held in Coleraine to save maternity services at the Causeway Hospital

Causeway Maternity Campaign group vow to fight to save maternity services

DUP MLA Maurice Bradley

MLA's share disappointment as no more births to take place at Causeway Hospital

A recommendation to consolidate all hospital births in the Northern Trust area at Antrim Hospital has been approved by the Department of Health

Department approves plan to move all hospital births in Northern Trust to Antrim

Letters to editor

Letter: Planned transformation of stroke services is needed

The 2022 Boardroom Apprentices.

Boardroom Apprentice 2023 applications now open across Northern Ireland

Charity calls for smoking ban

Four out of five people surveyed supported the proposed smoking ban

Rachel Killen, UNISON Newry & Mourne Branch Secretary, is concerned that Daisy Hill Hospital could be downgraded to such an extent that some of its core services could be run by doctors from other hospitals.

Plans for Daisy Hill Hospital may borrow doctors on daily basis

Latest news from the Department of Health has confirmed drastic cuts that will negatively impact over 60 community and voluntary organisations across the province

Community organisations pushed to 'brink' after funding cuts