Other News In Brief

Air Ambulance Must Have A Doctor - Bradshaw

Alliance Party Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw MLA has said it is essential that the Air Ambulance has a doctor on board to give patients immediate care.

Ms Bradshaw has been supporting the Dr John Hinds HEMS Committee, led by Dr Janet Acheson, in their campaign to ensure that the Air Ambulance is established as a Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical Service.

Ms Bradshaw said: "I firmly support this campaign to ensure that the only model that is feasible, from the start, will be a 'Doctor-Paramedic Model'. The additional skills that such a model will have will ensure that those patients affected will have a critical-care trained doctor providing them with the medical intervention that they require in situ, as opposed to trying to transport them to hospital in the quickest possible time. This point-of-contact intervention will undoubtedly result in better outcomes for patients, for example, those experiencing head trauma from a road traffic accident."

NI Man Convicted Of Waste Offences

A man from Northern Ireland has been convicted for breaches of waste management legislation.

James Henry Green from Millisle, was sentenced to 180 hours' community service at Downpatrick Crown Court.

On various dates between June 2013 and February 2015, officers from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) visited a site adjacent to 37a Ballyblack Road, Newtownards, where they found End of Life Vehicles (ELVs), some of which were undepolluted, still with batteries attached and oil and fluids in their engines.

Officers also observed that ELV's were being broken for parts and that various engines were sitting around the site. Other waste observed included large amounts of various types of scrap metal being stored, outer casing of washing machines, vehicle exhausts, electrical cabling and wiring, construction and demolition type waste that included red bricks and wood, large number of vehicle tyres and baled plastics.

Call For Action To Prevent Industrial Action From Prison Officers

The Ulster Unionist Party's Justice spokesperson, Doug Beattie MC MLA, has called for action to prevent industrial action by local prison officers.

Doug Beattie MC MLA said: "It is clear that feelings are running high in the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) regarding their latest pay settlement or lack of it. We are now on the verge of industrial action by the Prison Officers Association (POA) unless urgent steps are taken to address historical wrongs. Nobody wants to see officers heading to the gates of our prisons in protest and the withdrawal of labour. Such actions would have a detrimental effect on our prisons, our prison staff, the prisoners within the walls and the prison modernisation programme.

"It is my understanding that the Justice Minister met with representatives of HMP Maghaberry POA yesterday and it was made clear that while the membership believe the Justice Minister is genuine when she says she has tried to secure the best pay settlement possible and is personally supportive of the prison staff, she is not being told the whole truth by the Prison Service Management Board. The facts remain that a 1% pay rise consolidated, in line with public sector pay cap, would be acceptable to the prison service if they were also to receive an increase in the risk allowance for Custody Prison Officers (CPO) to bring them in line with the PSNI.

"The parity in risk allowance is a fair request given the continual targeting of prison officers by dissident republicans and the murder of two of their members in recent years. This risk payment - which would equate to just over £3,100 a year or £250 a month - is meant for use in security related issues such as extra fuel cost for varying their routes and times to and from work, plus the extra electricity costs for running the security lights and cameras most, if not all, prison officers have fitted to their properties.

"This risk allowance has been awarded to the PSNI and the prison service feel they are no less at risk than their police counterparts. I tend to agree.

"I have spoken to the Justice Minister on a number of occasions and I too believe she is genuine and proactive in her approach to this issue."