NI surgeon body leader calls for emergency NHS summit saying ‘we needed radical change bef ore Covid – now it is critical’

Good afternoon

This is your Coronavirus special interest and news update from the News Letter
There has been four further deaths of patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 Northern Ireland. The Department of Health said there have also been 1,550 new confirmed cases in the last 24-hour reporting period. On Thursday morning there were 376 Covid-positive patients in hospital, with 41 in intensive care. So far 2,428,676 vaccines have been administered.
Surgeons have called on the Executive to convene an urgent health summit to deal with Northern Ireland’s “devastating” hospital waiting lists. Northern Ireland has the worst waiting lists in the UK, with the Department of Health previously warning it needs £707.5 million of additional investment over a five-year period to address the crisis.
* Tim McGarry: For advice on the benefits of Brexit, just ask the Shinners.
Almost half of P7 pupils and 70% of 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland felt that their education was negatively affected during the Covid pandemic, a new report has said. Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People Koulla Yiasouma, said that vulnerable children were “invisible” and became more vulnerable during the crisis.
The head of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland has quoted Biblical verse in support of a new anti-climate change initiative, saying that what is needed is “theology that actually structurally changes the way we live”. The moderator, Rt Rev Dr David Bruce, has penned a letter to all 500-plus congregations about the initiative.

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