An inquest is to be held into the death of a psychiatric patient at Dublin’s Central Mental Hospital after a nurse was jailed for assaulting him, it was confirmed yesterday. Psychiatric nurse, Bernard Cullen, was last week given a four-year prison sentence for assaulting Gary Connell, a patient, who died later that day. During a brief hearing, Dublin City Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said: “I understand criminal proceedings were completed last week.” Setting a date of October 12 for the inquest, Dr Farrell said: “We will be requesting the full Garda file to be submitted.”

Not enough is being done to alleviate the shortage of affordable housing in Northern Ireland, according to a new report. The report by the homeless charity, the Simon Community, says

A row has erupted between the country’s largest health sector unions over the new pay campaign launched by the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO). Impact, which represents 26,000 health workers, has criticised the INO in a letter to health employers over the claim lodged by nurses in the wake of the social partnership agreement. The correspondence – seen by The Sunday Business Post – attacks the style of campaign being waged by the nurses union, led by Liam Doran, which is seeking to establish a differential between nurses and social care workers represented by Impact.

Health Minister Paul Goggins has announced a major reform of the way health and social care services will be delivered in the future. The main aim is to get as many people cared for in their homes and communities, rather than in hospital beds.

Five people are victims of sexual crime each day in the North of Ireland, Daily Ireland can reveal. PSNI figures show that between April 2005 and March 2006 1,711 people claimed to be victims of sexual crime. A staggering 356 people – almost one every day – claimed they were raped during the same period. Of that number just 64 prosecutions were taken. Last night the interim director of a leading sex abuse support agency Nexus Institute, Gar McAtamney, demanded tougher action be taken to improve prosecution rates for sexual offenses.

Services to help victims of the Troubles are uncoordinated and lack any long-term funding strategy, a report has suggested. Victims Commissioner Bertha McDougall warned that available money would be dramatically reduced by 2007. “The over-riding impression is that services for victims are policy-driven rather than focused on specific and changing needs,” she said. She said more than 120,000 people in NI were directly affected by the Troubles. Mrs McDougall is publishing her interim report on Thursday, six months after she was appointed by the government.

A unique guide aimed at improving the training of social work students in Northern Ireland has been launched by a University of Ulster academic. The Good Practice Guide on Citizen Involvement in Social Work Education in the Northern Ireland Context examines how service users and carers as citizens can be involved in the education of the students undertaking their degree course at the University.

A retired health worker has been disciplined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council over the death of an orphan and injury to his brother. Claire McDonnell, 66, was in charge of the care of David and Samuel Briggs. The Romanian twins were adopted by a Northern Ireland missionary, who was jailed for hurting the injured boy.

More than £4m will be spent on tackling suicide in Northern Ireland over the next two years, Health Minister Shaun Woodward has said.

Health chiefs in the North West are forging new links with schools to encourage students into careers in the health service.