04 December 2020 The development of a new £40 million campus for the Northern Regional College (NRC) has been welcomed as a significant boost to the economy at a very challenging time . The Economy Minister Diane Dodds was speaking following the appointment of Heron Bros as the lead contractor to build the new NRC Coleraine campus. 04 December 2020 The PSNI have issued a fresh appeal for information on the murder of James Donegan, who was shot dead outside a school in West Belfast on Tuesday 04 December, 2018. The 43-year-old father, known as Jim, was murdered as he sat waiting to pick up his 13-year-old son in his red Porsche Panamera, registration JDZ34, on the Glen Road in west Belfast.
Health bosses could be hit by up to 500 medical negligence claims by former patients of Dr Michael Watt costing millions of pounds, it has been warned.
The Belfast Health Trust board has been told the trust has received 274 clinical medical negligence claims from former patients of the consultant neurologist.
The board heard that lawyers acting on behalf of the trust have been instructed to ensure the process is as straightforward as possible to minimise any further trauma to patients.
However, a solicitor who represents some of the patients said he expects the final number of medical negligence cases to be closer to 500.
Covid-19: Regional Fertility Centre to resume some services
By Lesley Anne McKeown
Some fertility treatments that were paused because of the coronavirus pandemic are to begin once more.
Services at the Regional Fertility Centre are due to resume at a reduced capacity, the Belfast Trust has confirmed.
Patients at the top of the frozen embryo transfer waiting list are due to be contacted this week.
The trust said staff who had been redeployed in the pandemic would return to the centre as soon as possible.
At that stage, a number of women were contacted by phone as part of the Belfast Health Trust s plan to scale back on operations and procedures.
BBC News
By Louise Cullen
image copyrightGetty Images
The General Medical Council (GMC) is monitoring the training of doctors at the Regional Cardiothoracic Surgery Department in Belfast.
It follows concerns about training being raised with the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency.
The GMC has implemented enhanced monitoring in which it helps bodies to address concerns and find solutions.
The department is part of the Belfast Health Trust, which said all training was regularly reviewed.
The unit provides surgical treatment of the heart, lungs and other chest cavity organs for the whole of Northern Ireland.
It is based at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, with some surgeries taking place in the Belfast City Hospital.