Other News In Brief

Hospital Trust Appeals To Off-Duty Staff To Come Into Work

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust took to Facebook on Tuesday night to appeal to off-duty staff to come into work "if available".

In a post to the Trust's Facebook page, they appealed to "any of our off-duty staff available to come in to work this evening and overnight" and urged them to contact their patient flow team on the relevant site.

The post continued: "A huge thank you again to our staff who have shown tireless commitment and gone the extra mile for patients and service users over an extremely busy holiday period. Staff have worked extra shifts which has given us some increased capacity. Our Emergency Departments and Wards/Departments remain under pressure this evening."

A number of people commenting on the post praised staff willing to give up their holiday time to tend to the needs of the hospital and it's patients.

Would Be Pet Owners Urged To 'Adopt, Don't Shop'

Bangor-based animal sanctuary, Assisi, has urged people to 'adopt, don't shop, as some 150 animals are still in need of a new home at the start of 2018.

The sanctuary said that they currently have around 40 dogs, 60 cats and up to 50 rabbits and guinea pigs in need of a "forever home".

Appealing to people thinking of getting a new pet, the sanctuary urged them to "do a lot of research" before committing but reiterated it's main message of 'adopt, don't shop'.

New Digital Catapult Lab Opened In Belfast

Digital Catapult UK has opened a new space in Belfast to give businesses the opportunity to experiment with the latest technologies in virtual, mixed and augmented reality.

The new Immersive Lab, situated in the old Belfast Telegraph Building on Royal Avenue, will host a range of cutting-edge tools and equipment including:

• the latest virtual and mixed reality headsets, devices and software

• a green screen studio

• motion capture suits

Businesses of any size – as well as researchers, individuals and investors – can book the lab and use its equipment to innovate, test and prototype their ideas, and speed up their journey to market.

Supported by Belfast City Council and the Department for the Economy, the Belfast lab is one of only four such facilities across the UK. Other locations include London, Brighton and Gateshead.

The official opening of the Immersive Lab in Belfast will take place on Thursday, 18 January 2018. Businesses are invited to come along for an evening of talks, demos and networking.

(MH/LM)