Causeway Hospital Radio is celebrating World Radio Day with a climate-change takeover.
Providing company and comfort to patients for over 20 years, today its unique mix of music and chat will include information about the simple actions we can all take to help build a better future.
Volunteers will be behind the mic throughout the day, using their unique platform to support this year’s campaign and highlight how radio can be a powerful tool for climate change.
Site works will begin at Antrim and Causeway hospital sites this month in preparation for the removal of car parking charges in May 2026.
It follows the announcement by the Department of Health last November. There is an 18-month project plan with a range of actions that will be undertaken on a phased basis, and staff and service users will begin to see some changes across our sites.
Similar to all HSC Trusts in Northern Ireland, the Northern Trust along with the designated contractor, Parkingeye, will install the new Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) parking system in advance of May 2026.
Parkingeye will begin installing equipment including ANPR cameras at Antrim and Causeway Hospitals in February 2025 and the service will become operational at both sites from March 2025.
The new parking management system will enable the Trust to monitor car park usage and gather data in relation to how sites are being accessed. This data will help plan for the significant change of removing paid parking at Trust sites next year.
There will be no change to current parking fees for patients/service users and visitors, at this time.
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is the largest geographical Trust in Northern Ireland, spanning over 1733 miles. The Trust serves a population of just under 480,000, and according to 2021 census figures, nearly 204,000 people or 42.5% of the population live in rural areas.
The Trust has a proven track record of developing initiatives which are designed to specifically improve the health and wellbeing of its rural communities. These include the Farm Families Health Checks Programme, Farmers’ Choir NI and a social prescribing project for rural men.
A Rural Health Forum was set up in 2023 and it brings together Northern Trust staff to raise awareness about key rural issues and help address challenges. In 2024 it launched its first ‘Rural Matters’ Framework, putting a renewed focus on efforts to support and enhance rural health and wellbeing.
Yvonne Carson, Rural Health and Wellbeing Manager, said: “We are committed to improving these outcomes for our rural population, including farm families. We work in partnership with a range of organisations with a strong rural remit to help reduce health inequalities in rural areas. We are proud of what we have achieved so far, and with our new framework in place, we’re looking forward to making further progress.”
This is the first in a series of articles, which over the next few weeks, will focus on farmers’ health and wellbeing. We hope you enjoy reading them.
Farmers urged to ‘check under the bonnet’
The Farm Families Health Checks Programme will be out and about at livestock marts throughout February encouraging farmers to take some time to ‘check under the bonnet’.
This valuable service gives farmers and their families access to free health checks in a mobile clinic at local rural settings.
Staff can offer on-the-spot checks including blood pressure monitoring, Body Mass Index, cholesterol and diabetic screening. In addition, individual lifestyle advice can be provided on a range of health issues, and onward referral to local support services as required.
Recently a new edition to the programme has been added – the HbA1C test which checks average blood sugar levels for the last two to three months and is used as an indicator for Type 2 Diabetes.
Christina Faulkner, Farm Families Health Checks Coordinator said: “Diabetes is a serious condition where the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood is too high. There are two types of the condition – Type 1 and Type 2.
“The HbA1C test has picked up many undiagnosed Type 2 diabetics, which unlike Type I can be prevented. Type 2 Diabetes is becoming increasingly common and this is mainly due to lifestyle factors including being less physically active and being overweight. It is believed that there are many in the population who have a high blood sugar but are unaware of it. It can lead to long-term health problems but many of the effects can be avoided if it is diagnosed early.
“We’ve picked up lots of undiagnosed and untreated health issues over the years and helped many people take that first step to better health and wellbeing.
“We offer a friendly confidential service giving busy farmers the opportunity to have a health check carried out at a time and place that suits them.
“We have had many important conversations with farmers and they are always very thankful for our support and advice. Just remember, ‘your health is your wealth’.
“At the RUAS Winter Fair back in December we were delighted to welcome HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to our mobile unit. We chatted with him about how we are making a difference by taking our services to the heart of rural communities. He congratulated staff involved and was very interested in finding out about the tests we carry out as part of our assessment which was a great endorsement for our work.”
During February, the Farm Families Health Checks Van will be in attendance at the following marts:
February 11, Lisnaskea
February 15, Clogher
February 17, Swatragh
February 20, Enniskillen
February 21, Ballymena
February 22, Markethill
February 24, Omagh
The Farm Families Health Checks Programme is coordinated by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and funded by DAERA and Public Health Agency. It has been operating across Northern Ireland since 2012 and to date has seen almost 27,000 clients.
Northern Health and Social Care Trust staff who are involved in rural health and wellbeing initiatives, Christina Faulkner, Farm Families Health Checks Coordinator, Leah Glass, Mid Ulster Locality Lead, Doreen Bolton, Causeway Locality Lead, Yvonne Carson, Rural Health and Wellbeing Manager.
Members of the Farm Families Health Checks team, Rebecca McMinn, Helen McAuley, Christina Faulkner, Amanda Logan, Doreen Bolton and Lorna Barr.
Christina Faulkner, Farm Families Health Checks Coordinator, meets the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, at the RUAS Winter Fair.
Prince Edward chats with staff during his visit to the Farm Families Health Checks van at the RUAS Winter Fair.
Achieving qualifications, going out to work or pursuing a hobby are all things many of us take for granted.
But for some people, including those with a learning disability, some aspects of life don’t come as easy.
Within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, the Day Opportunities service supports adults with a learning disability to ensure they can live life to the fullest and achieve their true potential.
Over the past two decades, it has helped to transform many lives right across the Northern Trust locality and has consistently demonstrated the power of opportunity.
Defined as community-based day time activities which will engage service users in areas such as paid employment, accredited further and higher education, volunteering, and social enterprise activity, the service also supports friendship building, the use of sporting and recreational facilities and the pursuit of other interests.
As the service celebrates its 20th anniversary in the Northern Trust, we hope these personal stories from service users and carers will be as motivational and inspiring to you as they are to us.
Transforming lives through employment
Philip Waring and Jordan Cardy may be at different stages of life, but they have a lot in common thanks to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s Day Opportunities programme.
Jordan is just beginning his working life after securing a job in McDonald’s in Coleraine, while Philip is looking forward to a much-deserved retirement after clocking up 25 years of service in the same fast-food franchise.
Their success stories help to illustrate the positive impact of Day Opportunities in the Northern Trust.
Philip: A career of dedication
Explaining more about Philip’s journey, Head of Service Garth Anderson said: “I first met Philip while I was working for Triangle Housing Association. At that time I could see that a vocational pathway would make a huge difference to him, and this led to the start of his career in McDonald’s in 1999.”
Philip’s journey towards independence involved significant life changes, and it was achieved thanks to a strong partnership with his family and wider support team.
He moved from Mountfern Adult Centre, a more structured and regulated environment, to Day Opportunities after it was first introduced in 2005. This change meant he needed to become more independent and learn to manage new demands including his own transport arrangements.
At the same time, he moved out of his family home into supported living accommodation.
The Day Opportunities programme built on Philip’s progress and, in partnership with Triangle, helped him with this major life transition.
Garth said: “Ultimately, this helped him to maintain meaningful employment for over two decades and his recent retirement party was a fantastic opportunity to recognise everything he has achieved over the past 25 years.
“Philip’s story exemplifies the effectiveness of the Day Opportunities programme, and how our partnerships with the voluntary and community sector, and other local stakeholders, are making a real difference.”
Jordan: A new chapter of success
Jordan’s journey showcases how Day Opportunities is empowering the next generation.
Since leaving school, he has been working hard to build his employability skills through Triangle’s Alternative Angles, a social enterprise focused on helping people develop essential skills for employment.
Transitioning from the more protective environment of school to the world of work can be challenging but Jordan has faced this head on, building his confidence and overcoming any anxieties with the help of his Day Opportunities Coordinator.
With their support, he participated in the McDonald’s Academy, a three-day Empower Programme led by Disability Action which included customer service training, employability skills, food hygiene, and interview preparation.
Jordan’s dedication and persistence paid off when he secured paid employment at McDonald’s after excelling at interview.
Reflecting on his success which his mum has called an ‘incredible milestone’, Jordan said: “I have finally done it—I’ve got myself paid work!”
Garth added: “Philip and Jordan’s stories remind us of the enduring impact of the Day Opportunities programme. We have one individual at the start of his retirement, and the other at the beginning of his career, with both reminding us of the importance of fostering independence and inclusion for all.
“From Philip’s first steps down his vocational pathway, I had a vision for a service like Day Opportunities and that helped to lay the foundation of what we’re celebrating now. Here’s to 20 years of progress—and many more to come!”
Philip Waring pictured with some of his McDonald’s colleagues.
Philip Waring pictured with Bruce Bailliee, owner of McDonald’s in Coleraine.
The Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has praised the “commitment and tenacity” of staff who ensured critical services were maintained during Storm Éowyn.
“It’s a cliché to say staff went above and beyond, but there’s really no other way of describing it,” said Chief Executive Jennifer Welsh.
“Over the weekend, I’ve heard so many stories about teams across our Trust who pulled out all the stops to ensure the needs of our community were met, during the storm and in its aftermath, working round the clock – and, if they weren’t able to provide a solution, they tracked down someone who could.”
As teams across the Trust regrouped on Monday morning following a busy weekend, stories have emerged of staff, quite literally, going the extra mile for their community, during what meteorologists have described as a “once in a generation” weather event.
From sleeping overnight in hospitals, to working longer shifts to cover colleagues whose route was blocked by fallen trees, staff rallied round to make sure critical services were maintained.
Care and compassion
Ms Welsh continued: “One thing that is coming through is the care and compassion with which our teams dealt with the challenges brought by Storm Éowyn, particularly out in our community.
“To give an example, our respiratory team went to extraordinary lengths to ensure an oxygen supply was reinstated for a patient having end of life care in the community, when the storm caused a power outage.
“This allowed this person to have a peaceful, dignified death surrounded by their loved ones and the gratitude of the family was very evident.
“Another member of staff from our Estates team who was out installing a mobile generator for a vulnerable service user, even went as far as going to the local shop to fill a hot water bottle for them.
“These are just a couple of examples of the lengths our staff went to and the caring, compassionate way they do their job, each and every day.”
District nurses and home care staff
Ms Welsh said there had also been stories of district nurses scaling fallen trees to beat a path to their patients.
“I want to give a special mention to our district nurses and home care staff, including those from the independent sector, who play such a vital role in our community, delivering care for some of our most vulnerable residents,” she added.
“While the advice for the public was to stay at home, our staff were out on the road, as usual, ensuring critical care was provided, and I am deeply grateful to them for their commitment and tenacity in navigating such challenging weather conditions.
“They are a credit, not just to the Northern Trust, but to our wider community and I am really proud to have them on our team.”
Ms Welsh also praised the “enormous efforts” of the Trust’s Estates team who provided round the clock support to teams, responding to issues with power outages and storm damage.
Due to the storm, some Trust facilities, including Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital, had to temporarily switch to generators when the power supply was interrupted on Friday, during the storm’s peak.The Trust’s Emergency Planning Team has been supporting the organisation’s response and assisting with the coordination of the regional multi-agency response to the impact of Storm Éowyn on health and social care services.
Gillian Traub, Northern Trust Director of Operations, said: “Colleagues worked throughout Friday and over the weekend to ensure critical services were maintained and restored to some of our most vulnerable residents, working with NIE, local councils and community partners.
“Our response is ongoing as we continue to monitor the emerging needs of our service users while NIE works to restore the network in its entirety. Given the significant disruption caused by Storm Éowyn, challenges remain for the delivery of health and social care services, but we will continue to work with colleagues across the region to ensure a joined-up, multi-agency response to support our local community.”
Managing the flow of patients through our hospitals is a complex issue and there are many reasons why yours or your loved one’s discharge from hospital can be delayed.
One of the ways our community can help us to ensure everyone receives the care they need in a timely way, is to work with us to support a safe and timely discharge from hospital when you or your loved one is medically fit to go home.
In the video below, our colleagues explain some of the ways we’re trying to reduce pressures on our services.
A proposal for Emergency Department staff in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust to trial the use of body-worn cameras is to go out to public consultation.
The Board of the Northern Trust has agreed to ask the public for their views on the pilot project for staff working in Antrim Area Hospital’s Emergency Department.
The aim of the pilot is to help reduce the number of incidences of violence and aggression towards healthcare staff.
Statistics published by the Department of Health in 2023 showed there were more than 50,000 attacks on healthcare workers over a five-year period; of that figure, more than 6,600 were against workers in the Northern Trust.
Anne O’Reilly, chair of the Trust Board, said: “Sadly, we have become accustomed to reading headlines about acts of violence and aggression towards those working in health and social care.
“The statistics are both alarming and wholly unacceptable. Dealing with this sort of behaviour is not part of the job; not only does it have an impact individual staff members, it also has a ripple effect on the wider team and negatively impacts staff morale, and can lead to periods of absence. And of course, it has an impact on our patients and service users who are witnessing this sort of behaviour.
“We owe it to our staff to do all we can to address violence and aggression in the workplace. Emergency Departments are always extremely busy and staff are working in very challenging circumstances under huge pressure to provide care for all those who come through the doors; they need our support. They should not have to deal with or tolerate any form of abuse.”
It is proposed that the pilot will run for six months.
Last year, the Department of Health launched a new framework to help tackle violence and aggression towards health and social care staff, accompanied by the campaign strapline: “Violence and aggression. It’s not part of the job.” It was developed by the DoH in partnership with HSC Trusts and Trade Unions.
The Northern Trust has also established its own internal MOVA (Management of Violence and Aggression) working group and has developed a staff toolkit to equip managers with a dedicated resource to support team members and colleagues who have been impacted by violence and aggression in the course of their duties.
Suzanne Pullins, Executive Director of Nursing with the Northern Trust, added: “While our staff are trained in managing incidents where individuals may become violent or aggressive, training alone is not always enough to defuse a tense situation. There is evidence to suggest that the use of body-worn cameras can act as a successful deterrent, and supports staff in feeling safer.
“We have spoken to our colleagues in other HSC Trusts who have rolled out similar schemes and the feedback has been very positive.”
Under the proposals, staff are obliged to tell a patient that they are being recorded and appropriate signage will also be placed in the Emergency Department to make patients and visitors aware.
Ms Pullins said: “It is a real shame that we are even having such a debate, but sadly the statistics speak for themselves. We know that the vast majority of people who attend our Emergency Departments are respectful of our staff and only a very small number engage in unacceptable behaviour – but even one is one too many.”
Audrey Harris, Director of Medicine and Emergency Medicine with the Trust, added: “This pilot will provide an extra layer of safety for staff on the occasions when things do unfortunately escalate, and the cameras will be able to provide evidence which is in the interests of both our staff and patients.
“There will be strict parameters in place around the use of the cameras, should this pilot proceed. In drawing up the proposals, we have worked alongside our Trade Union colleagues, and staff. The Trust has considered any implications around equality, human rights, data protection and privacy in relation to the use of body-worn cameras in an acute healthcare setting.”
Under the proposals for the pilot scheme, Body Worn Cameras (BWCs) will be trialled by staff working in Antrim Area Hospital’s Emergency Department for 12 weeks.
The consultation period will run 23 January – 1 May 2025.
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s Therapeutic Photography Group is showcasing its ‘Change Through the Lens’ exhibition at the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre this month.
Celebrating a successful partnership between the Northern Trust, Belfast Exposed Photography and the National Trust, the exhibition is part of the roll out of the Northern Trust’s Arts and Wellbeing Strategy.
Nicola Arbuckle, the Northern Trust’s Health & Wellbeing Manager, said: “Photography has proven to be a great art form for improving people’s health and wellbeing by enabling them to connect with nature, develop friendships and reduce social isolation, while exploring new places, staying active and learning a new skill.
“The group has met on a fortnightly basis for several months at a range of beautiful places in the Northern Trust locality, including the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. With the support of the National Trust we’re delighted their work is now on public display where it can be enjoyed by a wide audience.”
Supported by tutors from Belfast Exposed Photography who have been trained in therapeutic photography, those attending do not require any previous experience and cameras are provided for anyone who needs one.
Sam Robb, Engagement Officer with Belfast Exposed Photography, said: “The photographs are all truly wonderful images taken by the participants and everyone should be so proud. Belfast Exposed is delighted to have partnered with the Northern Trust through our therapeutic photography programme to exhibit this wonderful work.”
Senior Volunteering and Community Officer at the Giant’s Causeway, Rhonda Dempsie, added: “It has been an honour working with the Northern Trust and Belfast Exposed and we are privileged to display the group’s pictures in the café at the Visitor Centre.”
Please note that access to the Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre is free to National Trust members and local pass holders, otherwise normal admission charges apply.
The Department of Health is inviting people to attend a series of public events as part of the consultation on the hospital reconfiguration framework.
The consultation, “Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes”, was launched on 2 October and sets out the key principles to underpin service reorganisation.
The aim of the consultation is to address a number of areas including the need for hospital reconfiguration, how hospitals can work together for better outcomes, where services are and how people can get the services they need in a sustainable way.
The event specific to the Northern Trust will be held on Wednesday 5 February from 7-9pm, at the Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena.
Online events are taking place for those unable to attend in person.
Friday 7 February 11am-1pm (hosted by Rural Community Network in association with Department of Health)
Tuesday 11 February 7-9pm and Wednesday 12 February 2.30-4.30pm (Hosted by Department of Health)
The meetings will provide information about the proposals, answer questions from the public, and encourage participation in the consultation process.
Registration for those wishing to attend is now open.
The consultation deadline has now been extended until 28 February 2025.