News in Brief

Cost Of A Pint
The 'shocking' cost of alcohol misuse in Northern Ireland was highlighted by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey in June after estimates that its cost to society equates to £679.8million with a range of £500million to £884million. "This research shows that the cost to the Health Service alone may be as high as around £160million each year with a further cost of £82million to Social Services,î the Minister said. ìThese figures are particularly pertinent in the context of my Departmentís very challenging financial situation because this is money that could be spent providing key frontline services."
 
Heart In Hands
The British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland is appealing to fundraisers to help it reach its target of £80,000 by August. The campaign is to recruit more heart nurses to support patients throughout the province and to reduce secondary care admissions.
 
Haiti Fundraising
Staff at Holly Villa in the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital have raised over £320 for a group who are travelling to Haiti in October to build houses following the earthquake. The Tyrone Haiti Build is a project in conjunction with the Haven Partnership to support those affected by the disaster.
 
Secondary Care Supported
A new hospital in Omaghs fight for funding has been supported by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey. Speaking at a meeting with the Omagh joint liaison group, the Minister said: "I am fully committed to the development of the new Omagh hospital and will continue to press for the essential funding needed to make this a reality."
 
Commissioning Together
Pharmacists and GPs must work together to define the gaps in commissioning data, review how they can be filled and to determine the correct level of care provision for a particular area, according to Stephen Foster, the head of the new Healthcare Professionals Commissioning Network. The network is open to any health or social care professional who would like to engage in commissioning. tinyurl.com/HCPnetwork
 
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The Future of Healthcare Celebrate! PDF Print E-mail
Tuesday, 21 July 2009 08:59

Over 100 young pharmacists gathered at the Ramada Hotel in Belfast for a night of lavish dining, celebration and entertainment on Saturday 27 June.


The inaugural Summer Charity Ball, hosted by the Ulster Chemists' Association (UCA), gave guests the perfect opportunity to celebrate passing their pre-registration exam, an industry standard that allows them to practice in pharmacy.


The night also incorporated the very first Pharmacy in Focus Pre-reg Awards, recognising excellence and dedication already shown by the future's chemists.

Amanda Brady from McKay Pharmacy scooped the title of Pre-reg of the Year, while Steven O'Hara triumphed in an essay competition with his views of what the healthcare sector will look like in 2030. Frazer McFadden from Harrison Healthcare won the Pre-reg Initiative of the Year Award for his work with ethnic minorities in Belfast.

Hosted by Cool FM's Sonya Mac, the ball raised over £4200 for Cystic Fibrosis Trust NI, which included money raised when a team of pharmacy students bravely abseiled from the Europa Hotel.

"We were delighted with the success of the event," UCA president James McKay said. “It was with great pride that we were able to witness tomorrow’s pharmacists receive acknowledgement, for their contribution to Pharmacy, at this wonderful new event. Coming the day after they received their exam results meant that the evening was a double celebration!

“The independently judged awards are not only a reward for pharmacy students but also a reflection of the high standard of tutition provided across Northern Ireland. The UCA are very appreciative of the support from sponsors Sangers (NI) Ltd, Danone Baby Nutrition, Cow and Gate/Aptamil Brands, PG and Reckitt Benckiser and Roche Diagnostics."

 

 

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