Debate on drug treatment “More than 11,000 drug addicts are now being given the heroin substitute methadone as the HSE prepares to roll out new services to supply the replacement drug around the country. It’s costing nearly €20 million a year to provide the substitute to heroine addicts.” With heroine use on the increase, the [...]

An invasion of privacy? “In my opinion, the new consultants’ contract has created more of a two-tier divide than ever before.” CEO of the Mater Private Fergus Clancy comments on the apparent struggle public hospitals are facing in filling consultant posts. While this claim was rejected by the HSE [“absolute rubbish” said acting HSE CEO [...]

THE IRISH TIMES Sense of denial over death “Perhaps it’s so momentous a thing that they just want to blot it out, or maybe the person is thinking of those they will leave behind and the effect it will have on them. Or it could simply be down to an unwillingness to face up to [...]

New advice for women who miscarry “The sound advice from obstetricians is that when you feel physically and emotionally ready, there’s no time-limit. If you feel within one month or two months that you want to conceive expeditiously, then you should go ahead and try. I agree with the BMJ research, not the WHO.” Dr [...]

“A radical thought suggests itself. How about making the nation’s children the template for universal health insurance and devolve to interested parties the building and running of the facility, subject to stringent safeguards?” Writing in The Irish Times HEALTHplus supplement, Mr Maurice Neligan reverses his previous support for locating the new National Paediatric Hospital on [...]