health and social care
Hospital consultant warns ‘disaster’ looming for struggling health service if flu levels continue to escalate
Dr David Farren, chair of the BMA’s Northern Ireland Consultants Committee, said winter pressures were getting worse every year.
As the health service falls apart, we need to confront the UUP’s failure to get the job done - Newton Emerson
We need to stop applauding the UUP for taking health on
Deirdre Heenan: More money won’t fix our broken health system - no matter how often our politicians tell us otherwise
No new ideas and a shrug of the shoulders from the minister and MLAs seems to be the best patients in crammed EDs can hope for this winter
Abortion protests resulted in 108 calls to PSNI
The Department of Health has defended the use of protest buffer zones outside abortion clinics since 2023
Almost 200 prison officers injured or assaulted in three years
Calls have been made to update civil service sick pay for officers often facing injury and assault.
Ambulance queues and overcrowded hospital wards a symptom of deeper malaise - The Irish News view
We must see real action on health and social care reform in 2025
Ambulance patient faced ’unacceptable’ 19 hour wait to be discharged to hospital
The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service said increased winter pressures were causing gridlock for patients at emergency departments.
2024 in review: Health
Industrial action, racist attacks on health workers and the ‘omnishambles’ of a new maternity hospital in Belfast all made the headlines in 2024.
Hundreds of patients wait on beds as winter pressures bite at hospitals
The Department of Health said the health and social care system was experiencing “severe pressure”
‘Things can hit a bit harder at Christmas’ - Belfast health workers on shift this week speak to the Irish News
The health workers showing up for patients on Christmas day spoke of keeping a festive atmosphere while staying ready for the next emergency.