With the rollout of COVID-19 booster vaccination programme under way across residential care homes in Northern Ireland, care home staff are being encouraged to get the booster to help further protect themselves, residents and co-workers. The booster programme, which is available to residents as well as care home staff, helps to prolong protection already received from the initial COVID-19 vaccinations and will help reduce hospitalisations as we head into colder weather and what will be a challenging period for our health service. Sandra Aitcheson, Assistant Director of Nursing at the Public

Sunday 10 October marks World Mental Health Day as well as the official end of the HSC Mental and Emotional Wellbeing campaign 2021. The five week social media campaign ‘Holding On To Hope in a Changing World’ campaign, linked World Suicide Prevention Day on Friday 10 September through to World Mental Health Day on 10 October. Northern Ireland’s six Health and Social Care Trusts joined forces for the second year running with the Public Health Agency (PHA) to create the campaign with the support of the Health and Social Care Board and community and voluntary organisations. The aim of the

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month (1– 31 October) the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging women to be breast aware and to become familiar with the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. While breast cancer can occur at any age, the risk of developing it increases with age. Most breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50. If it is found early, there is a better chance that treatment will be successful. “There were almost 1,500 cases of breast cancer diagnosed in Northern Ireland in 2019,” said Dr Louise Herron, Consultant in Service Development and Screening at the PHA. “Most women