A new campaign that encourages adults to make healthy changes to their diet has been launched in community pharmacies across Northern Ireland as part of the Living Well service. ‘Making healthier choices’ will run until the end of March and aims to encourage people to make changes to their diet that will have a positive impact on overall health and wellbeing. Living Well is offered in over 500 pharmacies and provides information and advice on public health issues. It is delivered in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA), Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), and the Health and Social Care

Updated Nutritional Standards have been developed, which are designed to make the food on offer for staff and visitors in hospital restaurants, cafés and vending machines healthier. Settings such as restaurants, coffee shops and workplace canteens, including those in in the health service, can impact on the quality of the food we eat and how much we eat through the food choices they offer. safe food, The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Public Health Agency (PHA) have jointly produced Nutritional Standards in partnership with Health and Social Care colleagues, so that healthier food choices are

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is calling on the parents of 5 to 11 year olds to get their child vaccinated against COVID-19. While most children aged 5 to 11 will have mild disease if they contract COVID-19, some may experience symptoms which last longer than just a few days. Vaccination of children in this age group has been shown to help prevent the small number of hospitalisations and intensive care admissions that can occur in this age group. It has also been shown to help provide short-term protection against non-severe disease. Dr Jillian Johnston, Joint Interim Assistant Director in

No Smoking Month is just around the corner and the Public Health Agency (PHA) and Cancer Focus Northern Ireland are urging people to ‘Make March Your Month to Quit’. Colette Rogers, Strategic Lead for Tobacco Control with the PHA, said: “We are encouraging people to use No Smoking Month as an opportunity to begin their quit journey and improve their health. “With the recent introduction of new legislation to protect children from second hand smoke in cars, maybe you’ve already been thinking about trying to quit. No Smoking Month could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for to set a quit

There are at least 104 research nurses and midwives across Northern Ireland working within all areas of healthcare, reveals a landmark new census initiated by a group of NIHR 70@70 Senior Nurse & Midwife Research Leaders. The census, incorporating responses from research nurses and midwives across all four UK nations and the Republic of Ireland, reveals nurses and midwives are working at every level in healthcare from Bands 5 – 9 in the UK, and from staff nurse to Directors of Nursing or Midwifery in the Republic of Ireland. This suggests there are opportunities to join the profession at every