Dramatic cuts that could see more than 2,000 jobs go across health and social services cannot be avoided, the North's Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said today.

The Royal College of Nursing and the Open University teamed up today to offer flexible training courses in the North which could help stop students running up debts while studying.

THUGS preying on NHS staff in the North carried out more than 5,000 attacks last year, it emerged yesterday.