The Northern Ireland region is made up from the six counties of Ulster that remained within the union.
It has, over a period of time, developed its own parliamentary assembly and, in addition, a separate Department of Health.
Email Samara Fleville (BSoT rep for this region)
Training Centres
Training is provided in the following hospitals within the Health and Social Care Trusts of Northern Ireland:
Training Programme
One of the major benefits of Northern Ireland training is the exposure to high-volume first-operator experience from ST3 onwards. Details of individual units are shown below:
- Belfast City Hospital provides tertiary services in uro-oncology, stones, and female urology; you'll benefit here from exposure to complex major surgery, as well as a high throughput of core procedures;
- Altnagelvin Area Hospital provides core services, endourology and reconstructive services to the North West sector of the country;
- Craigavon Area Hospital provides experience in core services, endourology, and urogynaecology; and
- Ulster Hospital is new to the rotation in 2018, and provides core services, endourology and reconstruction.
A single employer for doctors in training in Northern Ireland is to be established from August 2019. At present, trainees are employed by individual Social Care Trusts (as above) where they are working; this new arrangement will mean that you won't need to change employers as you rotate round the training units. In the past, this has caused difficulties with pay, maternity/paternity leave arrangements, pre-employment checks, handling of grievance/disciplinary processes, and the application of standardised policies & procedures.
Research and Audit
There is a large research portfolio at Queen's University Belfast under the supervision of Professor Joe O'Sullivan.
The focus is, primarily on prostate cancer for developing new radiation treatments and bone-seeking radionuclide therapy. Prof O'Sullivan is deeply committed to translational research in radiation and prostate cancer, and has published widely in these areas.
The Bottom Line
The region is an area of outstanding natural beauty and has a world heritage site at the Giant's Causeway. A drumlin belt crosses the province and provides a landscape of rolling hills, while Lough Neagh is the largest inland lake in Europe.
Since the 1999 Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland has seen a cessation of “The Troubles” and now boasts many attractions. The province offers world-class golfing, sailing and hill-walking facilities. With two airports, Belfast is within easy reach of all regions of the UK. You'll now find a thriving tourist industry, centred on our divided past, the Titanic and "Game of Thrones"; all of these give a cosmopolitan feel to our cities.
The cost of living is among the lowest in the UK, with crime levels among the lowest in Europe (and still falling).
Living in Northern Ireland is attractive, due to the low cost of living, its compact geography and the world-famous friendliness of its people. You'll find it a great place to raise a family, and your children will enjoy the highest performing education system in the UK.
Contacts & admin info for Northern Ireland
← Back to Deaneries & Reps page