Latest news with #northwest
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Letterkenny and Sligo: New surgical hubs proposed for hospitals
The minister for health in the Republic of Ireland has now backed the development of two new surgical hubs in the north west, insisting the decision is based on announcement comes after concerns were raised by some Donegal-based clinicians when the regional Health Service Executive (HSE) initially identified Sligo as the preferred location for a new surgical hub in the Jennifer Carroll MacNeill confirmed on Monday a second unit will also be developed at Letterkenny University Hospital and dismissed claims this decision was politically motivated. It remains unclear whether patients from Northern Ireland will be able to access services at either site once operational. "This is the right thing for Donegal - it is the right thing for the north west," the minister said. "From a data perspective and a planning perspective, this was simply the right decision."The investment at Letterkenny University Hospital will include the development of a new surgical hub, along with expanded cancer treatment Sligo, a new stand-alone surgical hub with two operating theatres will be constructed near the town's university MacNeill described the announcement as "an important milestone" in delivering improved care for patients at both said the projects would make "a real and lasting difference" to people's lives in the region and emphasised that increasing surgical capacity in both locations was a priority for the Irish government."These investments align with our Ambulatory Elective Day Care Strategy and the National Cancer Control Programme," Carroll MacNeill said."They will ensure that patients in the northwest have timely access to high-quality surgical and oncology care." Hope to be operational 'within two years' The minister visited Letterkenny University Hospital on Monday to make the announcement. "This was the right decision— not because of a series of meetings, but because, from a data perspective and from a future planning perspective, this was simply the right decision," Carroll MacNeill said. "It's not anything political - this is the right thing for Donegal - this is the right thing for the north west and I hope we'll see the benefits of these two surgical hubs which will deliver quicker surgeries for people in a very short time."Carroll MacNeill said she hoped both hubs would be operational within two years. Regional executive officer for HSE west and north west, Tony Canavan, said the new units could help reduce waiting lists for elective procedures in Donegal and Sligo, but said questions remained over staffing the facilities. "In Letterkenny, the hub we're proposing to develop will also include day beds for people receiving oncology treatments—15 brand new beds, along with 15 replacement beds," he explained."That will mean people from Donegal can receive their chemotherapy close to home and will be able to plan for that in the future as well."However, Mr Canavan cautioned that staffing the new units would be a "challenge".
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Show of Mancunian grit could be making of India captain Gill
India's cricketers began last week at Manchester United's training Devils manager Ruben Amorim could have done without a grilling from spinner Kuldeep Yadav about his continued use of he will be wishing his squad could show the same grit and determination India did during their trip to the north west, as their epic rearguard action in the fourth Test prevented England taking a decisive 3-1 lead in the series. They are proud of their entertainers on the red side of Holy Trinity. Sir Alex's flying wingers. The one they still call King Eric. India's performance was a tribute to one of this area's other favourite sons, Lord Atherton of Stoic Defiance. This Test came four years after India's previous visit to Old that occasion India pulled out of the fifth Test after a positive Covid-19 result and flew home with the series there to be won, given their 2-1 Gill was playing in his first Test against England in England when the hosts swept to victory in the rearranged match in Birmingham the following captain, Gill ensured that if England are to get the result they want from this summer's contest they will have sacrificed an inch from their height in doing Gill's 103 runs scored across 24 hours, England's bowlers would have celebrated victory on Saturday afternoon and spent Sunday on the golf out at 0-2 after only five deliveries, following a draining 157.1 overs as leader in the field, his head must surely have been spinning. In the first innings he was out for 12 shouldering arms, seemingly having played all of his shots in the pre-match news conference a day earlier by suggesting England had broken the spirit of Friday there murmurings of discontent in the India camp - questions of whether it was Gill or coach Gautam Gambhir calling the night bowling coach Morne Morkel took blow after blow in a news conference. 'Why was player A picked? Why did player B not bowl?' an unrelenting press contingent only made the resistance of Gill across the weekend, a 25-year-old a month into a gruelling first tour as captain, even more has spoken a lot this summer about wanting to wear his 'batter cap' when doing the day job. He has wanted to leave his metaphorical captaincy equivalent in his kitbag until he comes to field. In this knock he had to wear both to show the dressing room - one without the experience of three legends in Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Rohit Sharma, who all retired within the space of six months over the winter - the way forward was to fight. Gill now has 722 runs in this series with four Graeme and Steve Smith, of South Africa and Australia, have scored more than 700 runs in a series against England in the UK this Smith was another young captain when he dominated the summer of 2003. His run-haul set him on the way to being one of the great leaders of the modern era, but he already looked a grizzled leader when taking the reins at 22. Gill, in contrast, is softly his first captain Kohli held court with an aura the size of his social media following, Gill answers questions with a disarming when India needed their captain to front up this week - with the bat and when Ben Stokes offered his hand for the draw with 15 overs to go - Gill did so, just as Kohli would have would have been easy for Gill to accept Stokes' offer when England's captain looked to the dressing room. Worse would have been to shrug and put the pressure on to inexperienced team-mate Washington Sundar, who stood 20 runs short of a maiden Test held firm - a stern look before his smile returned soon after. This was typical Gill and those in the ranks remember when their leaders front the is not to say Gill has been perfect in his first four matches in bowling Sundar until the 69th over of England's first innings was a clear tactical mistake. There have been strange selections a country of 1.4bn, medium pacer Anshul Kamboj cannot be the best option to take the new ball in England, while the series finale begins on Thursday with Kuldeep, the best spinner on either side, yet to make an is where he needs Gambhir's former India opener is Gill's antithesis. Combative and scowling, a news conference after a semi-final win in the Champions Trophy in March became a 20-minute argument. Another after the first Test at Headingley was similar. Gambhir could be The Spiky and coach do not have to come from the same pod, a la Stokes and Brendon McCullum. Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott failed at the head of England's white-ball team because they were both playing the good if Gambhir is willing and able to plug the gaps, Gill has shown he has both the personality and batting prowess to take this side aggressive approach gave this generation an edge and athleticism that remains long after he has gone. With his softer nature, and the ability to light a fire when needed, Gill can be the ideal captain for this latest words United's iconic former manager Sir Alex Ferguson once (almost) said half a mile up Sir Matt Busby Way now apply to India."Your job is to stand by your new captain."This week in Manchester could be the making of India's new skipper.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
2 volunteers die fighting Turkey wildfires, raising deaths to 17 since late June
ISTANBUL — The death toll from wildfires outside the city of Bursa in northwest Turkey rose to four late Sunday after two volunteer firefighters died. The pair died in hospital after they were pulled from a water tanker that rolled while heading to a forest fire, news agency IHA reported. Another worker died earlier at the scene of the accident and a firefighter died Sunday after suffering a heart attack.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
NHS bosses vow to minimise doctors' strike impact
The regional medical director of the NHS in north-west England says they want to "make sure that we cancel as few appointments as possible" as the current doctors' strike continues into its fourth five-day walkout by resident doctors - previously known as junior doctors - began on Friday and is due to end on Wednesday morning after the government and doctors' union British Medical Association (BMA) failed to agree on wages last is the 12th strike by doctors since 2023 in the long-running pay dispute. Dr Michael Gregory, regional medical director of the NHS, said previous strikes had a "detrimental effect particularly with outpatient appointments and electric procedures". "Certainly this time around NHS England have made a definitive push on making sure that as many operations and outpatient appointments go ahead as possible," he told BBC North West Tonight."We still have urgent emergency care and we do have urgent cancer and other priority surgeries going ahead."He added that they had "consultant cover in place where we can on most days to cover services" but "clearly there's going to be services stretched".The NHS says it wants to keep operating non-urgent services during this latest walkout as they advised patients to attend appointments unless contacted to surgeries remain open and, for urgent or non-life threatening issues, 111 continues to be the best option and for emergency care A&E or 999. Speaking near a Liverpool hospital picket line, members of the public shared a variety of responses with one woman, who previously trained as a nurse, saying she believed the medics are "amazing but I think they're also on a good wage".Another man said: "I guess the doctors need to be paid. They do work hard, they do work long hours."Another woman added: "I disagree with them being on strike because they had a pay rise last year and most people are on a minimum wage."Resident doctors comprise around half of all doctors and can earn a basic salary of £38,831 during their first foundation year after completing their medical degree. This rises to £44,439 in the second year and salaries can increase to about £70,000 after eight years. 'Pay restoration' During 2023-24, over two years, they received a 22% pay rise. From this August, they will get an extra 5.4% pay the BMA says resident doctors' pay will be 20% lower in real terms than it was in 2008, even with the increase this also argue that resident doctors may have more student debt due to the five or six-year duration of their representative Dr Mohammed Kamora, who was on the Liverpool picket line, described the latest pay increases as having "started a journey towards pay restoration" and that those on strike were "asking for parity for what we had in 2008"."That is the key to retaining our best and brightest," he Secretary Wes Streeting has said resident doctors have received the largest pay rises of any public sector employees over the past three government said it would not offer any further increases and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the walkouts threatened "to turn back the clock on progress we have made in rebuilding the NHS over the last year". Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Raging wildfires hit another popular British holiday destination: Turkey next to suffer deadly blazes as Europe swelters in 43C heat
Wildfires engulfing Turkey are threatening the country's fourth-largest city Bursa - leading to hundreds of people fleeing their homes. Flames ripped through the forested mountains surrounding the city in northwest Turkey overnight, bringing a red glow to the night sky. Bursa governor's office said more than 1,760 people had been safely evacuated from villages to the northeast as more than 1,100 firefighters battled the flames. The highway linking Bursa to the capital, Ankara, was closed as surrounding forests burned.
