Monthly Archives: September 2019

New i-lines on Lynda Avenue in Jordanstown have been welcomed. Commenting on the new feature, East Antrim UUP MLA Roy Beggs said; “I had met with concerned residents of Lynda Avenue around two years ago to discuss road safety concerns. “Following a series of local meetings, I met with Road Service and a consultation then took place about introducing i-lines to the area with the aim of improving road safety and increasing visibility. “I am pleased that a number of i-lines are now in place and appear to be working as intended, giving local residents access to their driveways. “The work is well timed with the Jordanstown park and ride car park expected to be busy with the students’ return to further education this month.” Parliamentary reports show first speaker only – follow this lnk for the full transcription. Articles may come from parliamentary reports, various public news feeds and … Continue reading →

Police in Londonderry came under attack with petrol bombs during serious public disorder in the Moss Park area of the city this evening. A PSNI spokesperson said one of the petrol bombs, thrown in nearby Glengalliagh Park, landed close to a number of young children. Police have been called to a security alert in the Moss Park area of Londonderry. Pic by Google It is understood five petrol bombs in total were thrown at officers while they were in attendance at a security alert in the area. Police were called to Moss Park at around 7pm following a report of a suspicious device in the vicinity of St Paul’s Primary School, which was being used as a polling station. The alert has now ended and Moss Park has reopened to traffic. Army Technical Officers examined the suspicious object and declared it an elaborate hoax. Police have recovered six petrol bombs from … Continue reading →

Patients’ lives are being put at risky by “rapidly deteriorating response times” by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, it has been claimed. Fewer than 40% of the most urgent ambulance calls were responded to within agreed time targets over the last year. The service has a target to reach 72.5% of those patients. But Unite Union boss Kevin McAdam, says the the reduced standard of service provision is because the Ambulance Service is suffering from issues past and present. They include: Understaffing Ongoing Health Trust cuts Previous lack of an education route into paramedic roles Under-resourced staff facing Excessive working hours and overtime Increased pressures and stress among the workforce, and Increased sickness levels. Ulster Unionist health spokesperson Roy Beggs has described the situation as “outrageous” and says an increased demand caused by the ageing population may be responsible for the slippage. Read More Freddie Mercury impersonator ‘happy’ to bypass … Continue reading →

Monday’s Belfast Telegraph story The Department of Health has started stockpiling key drugs in Northern Ireland as part of a contingency plan to deal with a no-deal Brexit. Ulster Unionist health spokesman Roy Beggs had a briefing from health officials after the Belfast Telegraph revealed the contents of a leaked secret report which suggested patients’ lives could be at risk if the UK crashes out of Europe without a deal. The list of “reasonable worst case” scenarios included shortages of vaccines and medication, including some cancer therapies; difficulties running the children’s heart surgery service, and more than 1,000 NHS employees being unable to get to work or quitting their jobs. Mr Beggs said Brexit will “inevitably have major implications for health and social care”. Read More Secret Brexit report warns no-deal may cost lives in Northern Ireland “A no-deal exit in particular could have a drastic effect on patient care … Continue reading →