Politics
Pay and politics dominate the year in health
People, pay, politics and a sprinkling of positivity best sum up Northern Ireland’s 2024 health and social care story.
Powerful stories were plentiful – who can forget the personal testimonies during the UK Covid-19 Inquiry when it sat in Belfast, and the scandal around cervical screening which revealed many women and their families had been failed?
Hospital waiting lists reached a milestone, with more than half a million now on a list to have their first consultation with a specialist.
Among the scandals and apologies, the year also saw significant developments at Westminster and in the Republic of Ireland around assisted dying.