By Aoife Connors aoife.connors@imt.ie DDoc may be the next GP co-op to face swingeing cuts in its annual grant funding, as the HSE is expected to move both it and NEDOC to Special Type Consultation (STC) payments next year, Irish Medical Times has learned. GPs involved in the DDoc co-op told IMT this week that [...]
Surgical beds to be ‘ring fenced’
September 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Gary Culliton gary.culliton@imt.ie The HSE is to introduce arrangements whereby surgical beds will be “ring fenced”, the Executive’s Director of Quality and Clinical Care has pledged. Dr Barry White explained that the objective was to increase the proportion of patients who are admitted on the day of their procedure. “We would ringfence the beds [...]
HIQA moves on new key indicators
September 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Dara Gantly dara.gantly@imt.ie The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is publishing this Friday new guidance on developing key performance indicators (KPIs) and minimum data sets to monitor the quality of healthcare. KPIs are measurable elements of practice that can be used to assess the quality of healthcare. They facilitate the capture of healthcare [...]
Clinical programmes to roll out in 2011
September 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment
With the official launch of 20 national clinical programmes last week, Gary Culliton reports on the HSE’s belief that the move can both improve health outcomes and cut costs The HSE’s Quality and Clinical Care Directorate has been established to help improve patient care throughout the health system. The Directorate, led by Dr Barry White, [...]
Heart disease number one killer in women
September 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Aoife Connors aoife.connors@imt.ie Heart disease is the number one killer of Irish women, according to the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF), whose message for September is, ‘This is not a red dress; it’s a red alert!’ The IHF launched the campaign to get the message across to women that heart disease is not just a [...]
Pharmacists want OTC morning-after pill
September 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Mary Anne Kenny maryanne.kenny@imt.ie The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has joined voluntary activist organisation Choice Ireland in calling for pharmacists to be enabled to provide emergency contraception to patients without a doctor’s prescription. Last week (Friday), Choice Ireland stated that the morning-after pill should be available over the counter (OTC), after a report emerged [...]
Antibiotic use drops further
September 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Gary Culliton gary.culliton@imt.ie Data for 2009 shows a further drop in consumption of antibiotics, Minister for Health Mary Harney has revealed. In a written reply to a Parliamentary Question from Fine Gael’s Deputy Phil Hogan, the Minister noted that this follows Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) data, which showed a decrease in antibiotic consumption [...]
Temple St Board begins texting
September 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Aoife Connors aoife.connors@imt.ie The medical board at the Children’s University Hospital Temple Street has begun texting as the latest means of disseminating important notices to its members. At a medical board meeting on May 20, the use of the hospital texting system was approved to communicate matters regarding the medical board. Chemical Pathologist Prof [...]
HIQA collects €5.5m from nursing homes
September 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Gary Culliton gary.culliton@imt.ie The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has collected €5.5 million in fees from nursing homes since the commencement of the registration of nursing homes. The figures reflect the year to the end of July 2010. A further €1.7 million is due for payment this month. Nursing homes have to pay [...]
New Temple Street CEO is revealed
September 2, 2010 By Leave a Comment
By Aoife Connors aoife.connors@imt.ie Phil Shovlin has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer at the Children’s University Hospital Temple Street, Irish Medical Times has learned. Ms Shovlin will replace Paul Cuniffe, who retired in June this year after 36 years’ service at the hospital and 29 years as CEO. Shovlin previously worked as [...]