Other News In Brief

New Five Year Strategy Launched 


Health Minister Edwin Poots today launched a new five year strategy for the Allied Health Professions in Northern Ireland.
The new strategy, Improving Health and Well-being Through Positive Partnerships – A Strategy for the Allied Health Professions in Northern Ireland 2012 – 2017, will address the needs of this wide range of professions through a period of significant change in the HSC.
The Minister said: “Positive partnerships are essential for AHPs to play their key role with colleagues both as leaders and members of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency teams.
“Driving up quality of services and outcomes for patients is my underlying priority for health and social care. I want to see greater involvement of frontline professionals in decision making and service development.
“Given the diversity of the AHP disciplines and the wide-ranging nature of AHP practices, the Strategy does not seek to address in detail what services are provided to service users or how they are delivered. 
“Instead it focuses on the approach to care. It outlines how, the AHP workforce can meet the challenges of planning and delivering high quality services that are person-centred, safe, fit for purpose and provide good value for money.”

Attwood Announces New Appointments To NILGOSC 


Environment Minister, Alex Attwood, today announced appointments that have been made recently to the Northern Ireland Local Government Officers’ Superannuation Committee (NILGOSC). 
NILGOSC is an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body, which manages the Local Government Pension Scheme for Northern Ireland. 
Appointments are as follows:

Employer Organisation Members, Linda Neilan, Ciaran Quigley, David Jackson and Peter Caldwell

Employee Organisation Members, Peter McMurray and Tom Irvine. Mr Irvine has been appointed in a temporary capacity until 30 June 2012.
Acknowledging the commitment of the people serving on the Committee the Minister said: “NILGOSC continues to provide a vital service to local government and to the wider public sector. I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to those outgoing Committee members for the huge contribution they have made. Their dedication and expertise has proven invaluable."


Local Plans To Celebrate The Paralympic Torch Relay Welcomed

Preparations are under way across the north to celebrate the Paralympic Torch relay.

Welcoming the plans the Sports Minister Carál Ní Chuilín said: “Excitement is building around our local flame lighting ceremony to celebrate the Paralympics which is taking place in Belfast on 25 August.

“Alongside this special occasion, festivals will be held in the Cookstown, Ballymena, Derry, Newry and Mourne and Carrickfergus Council areas. These celebrations will bring the courage, determination and spirit of the Paralympic movement right to the heart of our local communities.”

The Minister explained how the Belfast flame will be used to create the Paralympic Flame. She said: “When our local celebrations are over, the Belfast flame will join the other three Paralympic flames at Stoke Mandeville before making its way on a 24 hour relay to the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games on the 29 August.”


(CD/GK)