Families on some benefits with three or more children will get an average rise of £4,100 a year.
The strike comes at the end of the bank holiday weekend and NHS managers fear demand could be "challenging".
Its managing director calls the rapper's past comments "abhorrent" but asks people to "offer some forgiveness".
Northern Ireland becomes first part of UK to bring in legal entitlement for parents affected by miscarriage at any stage of a pregnancy to have paid leave.
Relatives say it has taken months, and in some cases years, to get back money owed by a care home operator.