Improving services for paediatric ENT Surgery (PDF 95KB)

Policy and Standards of Care for Paediatric ENT Surgery in Northern Ireland

Statistics on Smoking Cessation Services in Northern Ireland: 08/09: Pre Release Access List

2008/09 Pre-Release Access List

A Workforce Learning Strategy for the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Services 2009-2014 (PDF 318KB)

A Workforce Learning Strategy for the Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Services 2009-2014

Guidelines for Maternity Services Liaison Committes (MSLCS) May 2009 (PDF 124 KB)

Guidelines for Maternity Services Liaison Committes

Language and syntactic impairment following stroke in late bilingual aphasics.

PURPOSE: Bilingual aphasia generally affects both languages. However, the age of acquisition of the second language (L2) seems to play a role in the anatomo-functional correlation of the syntactical/grammatical processes, thus potentially influencing the L2 syntactic impairment following a stroke. The present study aims to analyze the influence of late age of acquisition of the L2 on syntactic impairment in bilingual aphasic patients. METHODS: Twelve late bilingual participants (speaking French as L2 and either English, German, Italian or Spanish as L1) with stroke-induced aphasia participated in the study. The MAST or BAT aphasia batteries were used to evaluate overall aphasia score. An auditory syntactic judgement task was developed and used to test participants syntactic performance. RESULTS: The overall aphasia scores did not differ between L1 and L2. In a multiple case analysis, only one patient had lower scores in L2. However, four patients presented significantly lower performances in syntactic processing in the late L2 than in their native language (L1). In these four patients the infarct was localized, either exclusively or at least partially, in the pre-rolandic region. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that, in late bilingual aphasics, syntactic judgment abilities may be more severely impaired in L2, and that this syntactic deficit is most likely to occur following anterior lesions.

Improving Stroke Services in Northern Ireland (PDF 194 KB)

Stroke can strike anyone, any age, anytime. Today in Northern Ireland around 4000 people each year have their lives and the lives of their families dramatically changed by stroke. A significant number of these could be avoided by simple lifestyle changes. More exercise, less alcohol and more attention to diet can make a major difference. Cutting down or cutting out smoking will make the most significant lifestyle contribution to a reduction in stroke and the enormous personal impact that it brings. åÊThese recommendations seek to make improvements in the key areas of prevention; treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients in a modern health service setting. The accompanying standards outline the levels to which we must aspire, in the delivery of these services. åÊ

Independent Review of Autism Services final report (PDF 565 KB)

Independent Review of Autism Services final report

Public Attitudes to Health and Social Services (PDF 1.15 Mb)

Survey of the attitudes of the general public to health and social services

Audit of Maternity Services Executive Summary( PDF 915 KB)

Audit of Maternity Services Executive Summary

Audit of Acute Maternity Services (PDF 4894 KB)

Audit of Acute Maternity Services Final Report - October 2006