De Brun to provide 100 more nurses for North

An extra 100 trainee nursing positions are to be provided in the North, Northern Ireland Health Minister Ms Bairbre de Brún has announced.

Ms de Brún unveiled her plans at a Nurse of the Year awards ceremony in Belfast last night where she praised nurses' efforts.

I hope that your success and that of all the nominees will inspire and encourage others to take up the challenges of the future. Northern Ireland Health Minister Ms Bairbre de Brún

The Sinn Féin Minister declared: "I am pleased to announce an additional 100 nurse training places will be funded this year - this increases the yearly intake to 640 students and represents a further investment of three million in nurse education."

Ms Ann McCrea, a health visitor from Irvinestown Health Centre in Co Fermanagh took the top award for her role in setting up the first breast milk bank in Northern Ireland.

But Ms de Brún told those gathered for the Royal College of Nursing's Northern Ireland event she was hugely impressed with the range of entries from across the profession.

"We hold you all in great esteem," she said. "I hope that your success and that of all the nominees will inspire and encourage others to take up the challenges of the future."

PA