In April, Health Minister Robin Swann admitted that it could take 10 years to address the waiting list crisis in Northern Ireland. With the suspension and curtailment of many services, the Covid-19 pandemic had a massive impact on waiting lists. Even before this, however, Northern Ireland’s health waiting lists were amongst the longest in Europe, and the longest of any NHS region.
By Pat Lawlor – Organiser, NIPSA Belfast Health Branch (personal capacity) On 21 st June, over 200 service users, carers and supporters crammed into a hall at Knockbracken Healthcare Park. After nine months of campaigning, the recommendations on the future of mental health and learning disability day centres were to be revealed by […]
by Mary Cahillane, INTO Executive (personal capacity) In December, Stormont Education Minister John O’Dowd announced the creation of a new scheme called Investing in the Teaching Workforce. The scheme allows for five hundred 55+-year-old teachers to retire on full pension and be replaced by new young teachers. A good news story, anyone […]
NIPSA – the largest trade union in the North – is electing a new General Secretary. The current General Secretary, Brian Campfield, is retiring in January 2016. This election comes at a vitally important time for the union, the wider trade union movement and the working class in Northern Ireland. The […]
