Skip to main content

The Northern Ireland region is made up from the six counties of Ulster that remained within the union.

It has, over a period of time, developed its own parliamentary assembly and, in addition, a separate Department of Health.

Email Dan Kane - BSoT Rep

Training Centres

Training is provided in the following hospitals within the Health and Social Care Trusts of Northern Ireland:

Hospitals
  • Belfast City Hospital, Central Belfast. Belfast HSCT.
  • Altnagelvin Area Hospital, Londonderry. Western HSCT.
  • Craigavon Area Hospital, Craigavon, Portadown. Southern HSCT.
  • Ulster Hospital, Dundonald, Belfast. South Eastern HSCT.

Email the Training Programme Director, Ms Maeve Dooher

NI Medical & Dental Training Agency

Training Programme

One of the major benefits of Northern Ireland training is the exposure to high-volume first-operator experience from ST3 onwards. Details of individual units are shown below:

  • Belfast City Hospital provides tertiary services in uro-oncology, stones, and female urology and reconstructive surgery; you'll benefit here from exposure to complex major surgery, as well as a high throughput of core procedures in Day Procedure Units and the Urology Day Care Unit;
  • Altnagelvin Area Hospital provides core services, endourology and reconstructive services to the North West sector of the country; 
  • Craigavon Area Hospital provides experience in core services , tertiary level stone care by means of PCNL, ESWL and endourology, with the addition of urogynaecology; and
  • Ulster Hospital provides core services,novel bladder outlet surgery techniques, endourology and reconstruction.kkEach urology unit has multiple satellite hospitals where services are provided as well as operating in regionally run units.

Each urology unit has multiple satellite hospitals where services are provided as well as operating in regionally run units.

Northern Ireland trainees benefit from a Single Lead Employer, administered by the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA). This arrangement will mean that you won't need to change employers as you rotate round the training units. In the past, this has caused difficulties with pay, maternity/paternity leave arrangements, pre-employment checks, handling of grievance/disciplinary processes, and the application of standardised policies & procedures.

Research and Audit

There is a large research portfolio at Queen's University Belfast under the supervision of Professor Joe O'Sullivan.

The focus is, primarily on prostate cancer for developing new radiation treatments and bone-seeking radionuclide therapy. Prof O'Sullivan is deeply committed to translational research in radiation and prostate cancer, and has published widely in these areas.

The Bottom Line

The region is an area of outstanding natural beauty and has a world heritage site at the Giant's Causeway. A drumlin belt crosses the province and provides a landscape of rolling hills, while Lough Neagh is the largest inland lake in Europe.

Since the 1999 Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland has seen a cessation of “The Troubles” and now boasts many attractions.  The province offers world-class golfing, sailing and hill-walking facilities. With two airports, Belfast is within easy reach of all regions of the UK. You'll now find a thriving tourist industry, centred on our divided past, the Titanic and "Game of Thrones"; all of these give a cosmopolitan feel to our cities.

You'll also find the people to be some of the nicest around!

The cost of living is among the lowest in the UK, with crime levels among the lowest in Europe (and still falling). 

Living in Northern Ireland is attractive, due to the low cost of living, its compact geography and the world-famous friendliness of its people. You'll find it a great place to raise a family, and your children will enjoy the highest performing education system in the UK. 

Contacts & admin info for Northern Ireland

← Back to Deaneries & Reps page