Health inequality to be addressed

A community organisation in west Belfast is calling on the Executive to set up a task force to tackle health inequalities in Northern Ireland.

The chairman of Farset, Barney McCaughey, will make the announcement on Friday at a conference hosted by the organisation.

Mr McCaughey said action needs to be taken to address the gap between the health of the rich and poor in NI.

He said it could only be narrowed if all Stormont departments cooperated.

"You cannot solve this problem within the health system - it needs all of government, it needs different government departments working together.

"This is an issue which everyone can agree on and it could provide something that they can work on very productively and coherently," he added.

The Health Minister Michael McGimpsey and other health officials are among those who are expected to attend the conference.