Improving palliative care services for everyone living with advanced progressive illnesses in Northern Ireland was in the spotlight at a workshop today funded by the Public Health Agency. Representatives from primary and secondary care, out of hours, unscheduled care, specialist services and the ambulance service discussed how care can be improved for people with life-limiting diseases at the ‘Living Matters, Dying Matters: Where Matters – Transforming Palliative Care’ Workshop in Lisburn.

New research launched by the Resurgam Partnership (made up of the PHA, Resurgam Community Development Trust and Lisburn City Council) yesterday [20 June], found that 75% of those attending three post-primary schools in Lisburn leave school without five or more GCSEs, which include English and Maths, and very few go on to university or college.

An innovative programme aimed at encouraging schoolchildren to cycle to school has been hailed as a fantastic success, and to mark Bike Week 2012, it has been announced that it will be rolled out further.

Too many children and young people are living in circumstances that make it difficult for them to thrive. That is the key message from the third Annual Report of the Director of Public Health (DPH) for Northern Ireland, which was published today [14th June]. This significant report highlights the many public health challenges that affect people in Northern Ireland.