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News: November 2008

Botulism alert after four suspected drug user cases

Gary Culliton | 28 November 2008 | Public Health

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre today urged clinicians and other health professionals to be on the lookout for botulism in injecting drug users following four suspected cases of the disease. HPSC and the HSE East Public Health Department have been... Read more

VHI up 23 per cent, Quinn up 16 per cent

Gary Culliton | 28 November 2008 | Private Healthcare

Young people who, faced with a choice between paying their mortgage or their health insurance, will have to choose the former, Fine Gael Health spokeperson Dr James Reilly has said. “Government actions in imposing a health insurance levy and increasing... Read more

TB woman 'detained lawfully'

28 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

A South African woman who has been detained in hospital after refusing to accept treatment for a suspected case of drug resistant tuberculosis has been detained lawfully, the High Court has ruled. Mr Justice John Edwards said this was one... Read more

Contract now under threat

Gary Culliton | 28 November 2008 | Industrial Relations

A logjam looms in the Health Service Executive’s (HSE) bid to roll out the new consultant contract, after a series of rows erupted between the Executive and the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA). The timetable for introducing the consultant contract... Read more

Scanner staffing levels not sorted, says PAC

Gary Culliton | 28 November 2008 | Health Management

A scanner worth €1.5 million for Mallow General Hospital – now being used for just two half-days per week – was purchased in 2006 and a competition was held to appoint radiographers, but it appears that these two decisions were... Read more

Education could be cut

Ian McGuinness | 28 November 2008 | Research and Education

Education for doctors could be cut if excessively strict guidelines are created to regulate GPs’ relationships with pharmaceutical companies, the Chairman of the Irish Medical Organisation’s GP Committee has warned. Dr Ronan Boland was responding to the recent Dáil Public... Read more

Beacon says it is 'fully tax compliant'

Gary Culliton | 27 November 2008 | Private Healthcare

Beacon Medical Group has said that the company and its subsidiary undertakings are fully tax compliant. In addition, the entities that have signed the Project Agreements for the three co-location hospitals at CUH, MWRH, and Beaumont are in receipt of... Read more

Cervical cancer rates 'set to increase'

Gary Culliton | 27 November 2008 | Public Health

The incidence of cervical cancer in Ireland is expected to increase, as the national cervical screening programme is now available across the country, a new report says. The Women’s Health Council today launched a report on “Cancer Treatments: A review... Read more

Half those with HIV face discrimination from friends

Gary Culliton | 27 November 2008 | Public Health

Almost half of all people with HIV are discriminated against by friends. The report by Irish Aid, the Department for Health and Children, people living with HIV (PLHIV) and national and international NGOs, found 54% of the public took a... Read more

Numbers employed in health sector are up

Ian McGuinness | 27 November 2008 | Health Management

The number of people working in the health sector increased over the past year, despite the dramatic fall in overall employment figures in State in the same timeframe. The latest Central Statistics Office statistics showed that when the third quarter... Read more

Doctors should engage with reformed Council

Greg Baxter | 27 November 2008 | Regulation

Doctors should engage with the newly reformed and modernised Medical Council, the president of the Council has said. Addressing the Ethics and Legal Medicine Workshop of the College of Anaesthetists, Prof Kieran Murphy said: “The [Medical Practitioners] Act now offers... Read more

Health insurance media campaign is withdrawn

Dara Gantly | 27 November 2008 | Health Management

The Health Insurance Authority (HIA) has withdrawn plans to produce a media campaign highlighting consumers’ rights to switch their health insurance plan without penalty, despite the Minister for Health pledging to ‘fully inform’ consumers of their rights in all health... Read more

GPs lack experience when treating workplace stress

Greg Baxter | 27 November 2008 | General Practice

GPs do not have the experience to deal with stress in the workplace, and typically give patients sick notes and medication for stress, an expert in the organisational psychology told the RCPI. Prof Cary Cooper told the Faculty of Occupational... Read more

HTA directorate will not function as another NICE

Dara Gantly | 27 November 2008 | Regulation

Ireland’s first Health Technology Assessment (HTA) function differs significantly from the controversial body NICE in the UK, in that it has no decision-making role. According to Dr Patricia Harrington, Acting Director of the Authority’s HTA Directorate, the function of the... Read more

Guidelines launched at ICGP Winter Meeting

26 November 2008 | General Practice

Last Saturday’s ICGP Winter Meeting saw the launch of three different sets of guidelines for GPs: ‘Asthma Control in General Practice’, ‘Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual Patients: The Issues for General Practice’ and ‘CervicalCheck: the National Guide for Smeartakers’. Copies of... Read more

Bill mooted to block 'proliferation' of head shops

Gary Culliton | 26 November 2008 | Public Health

Fine Gael Health Spokesperson, Dr James Reilly TD has asked the Taoiseach if he or his Ministers have any plans to deal with the proliferation of so called "head shops" and "hemp shops" selling mind-altering products, party pills and other... Read more

Doctors cannot take over handling of patients' debt problems

Alan Deeley | 26 November 2008 | Public Health

Irish doctors cannot be depended on for the ‘detailed handling’ of debt problems among patients, however much they wish to care for society’s vulnerable, Dr Timothy Jackson of the Department of Public Health has said. The doctor spoke as a... Read more

Tallaght treatment services area should be expanded

Alan Deeley | 26 November 2008 | Public Health

The acting co-ordinator for the Tallaght Drugs Task Force has suggested that the catchment area for treatment services in the suburb could be expanded, to remove an anomaly whereby drug users in other neighbouring communities bypass Tallaght for treatment.... Read more

Addicts 'should undergo oral cancer screening'

26 November 2008 | Public Health

All residents at adult addiction treatment centres in Ireland should undergo an oral cancer screening examination upon admission to the centre, according to Dr Eleanor O’Sullivan of Cork University Dental School and Hospital in her report on Oral Cancer Screening... Read more

Four companies get EuroRec quality seal

Gary Culliton | 26 November 2008 | Information Technology

Former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, last week conferred the EuroRec Quality Label 2008 for Electronic Healthcare Records systems on four Irish companies. This is the first time in Europe that companies have been granted the EuroRec Seal since its introduction.... Read more

Beaumont Hospital car park nets €3m

Dara Gantly | 26 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Revenue received from the car park at Beaumont Hospital over the past four years has exceeded €3 million. Current annual income from the facility up to September stands at €617,384, with last year’s revenue amounting to €819,579. For the years... Read more

Rates of new cases and deaths from cancer down in the US

26 November 2008 | Foreign News

The latest annual report by leading cancer organizations in the US found that overall rates of new cancer cases and deaths have fallen for the first time since the report was first compiled ten years ago, but within those figures... Read more

Just the one 'impairs driving'

Gary Culliton | 26 November 2008 | News

Last year, 38 people lost their lives on Irish roads during the month of December, with 18 people killed or seriously injured over the Christmas period alone. This tragic toll was highlighted at the launch yesterday in Cork University Hospital,... Read more

€400,000 wasted on returned vaccines

26 November 2008 | Public Health

Some €400,000 has been wasted between January and August 2008 on out-of-date or unusable vaccines, according to Dr Anna Clarke, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the Department of Public Health. “We’re seeing a huge number of returned vaccines to... Read more

Mental health is now the domain of lawyers

26 November 2008 | Medico-Legal

Mental health has become the domain of lawyers, according to Mr Pearse Finegan, Director of the ICGP/HSE Mental Health Project. He was speaking at the ICGP Winter Meeting 2008. “Mental health tribunals cost €10,000 each, and every admitted patient has... Read more

Our Lady's site lying idle

Gary Culliton | 25 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

A number of buildings – including listed buildings costing €1.5 million — at our Lady’s Hospital in Cork, have lain idle and have been vandalised, the report of the Public Accounts Committee reveals. Our Lady’s Hospital (grey building) closed in... Read more

Premium pay for Saturday work

Ian McGuinness | 25 November 2008 | Industrial Relations

The Bon Secours Hospital should pay its surgical day ward nurses premium rates for working on Saturdays to facilitate National Treatment Purchase Fund treatment, the Labour Court has said. The claim, made on the nurses’ behalf by the Irish Nurses... Read more

O’Moore Medal for Dr Glyn Hayes

25 November 2008 | Information Technology

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern presented an award for outstanding contributions to healthcare informatics to Dr Glyn Hayes, President of the UK Council for Health Informatics Professionals. Mr Ahern presented the O’Moore Medal at the Health Informatics Society of Ireland’s (HISI’s)... Read more

System 'not conducive to patient safety'

Mary Anne Kenny | 25 November 2008 | News

The medical negligence system in Ireland is ‘not conducive to patient safety’, according to Dr Deirdre Madden, the Chairperson of the Commission on Patient Safety and a specialist in medical law and ethics. Speaking to IMT at the ICGP Annual... Read more

Medical card numbers up in October

25 November 2008 | Health Management

More people were added to medical card lists last month, although the rate has slowed down. The latest figures show that an extra 1,857 people got medical cards in October — of these, 1,515 got a full medical card and... Read more

One adult in four is obese

Gary Culliton | 25 November 2008 | Public Health

Almost one Irish adult out of four is obese and approximately two out of three is at an unhealthy weight, a new survey shows. It appears that overweight and obesity has generally levelled off across the three SLÁN surveys of... Read more

Carer of the Year Awards

Gary Culliton | 24 November 2008 | Public Health

Máire Hoctor, TD, Minister for Older People presented the Carer of the Year awards at the National Awards ceremony in the Royal Hospital, Kilmainham in Dublin at the weekend. Four regional award winners were chosen from all the nominations received... Read more

Ireland one of just three EU states with rising antibiotic use

Gary Culliton | 24 November 2008 | Public Health

Ireland is one of only three EU countries showing an increasing use of antibiotics and recent Irish research showed that medical card holders (30% of the population) account for over 50% of antibiotic use.The HSE has launched a three week... Read more

Drogheda surgeon struck off

24 November 2008 | Regulation

Compensation from a fund worth around €2m may be available to victims of struck-off surgeon Mr Michael Shine. Health Minister Mary Harney last night said the fund was placed in trust by the Medical Missionaries of Mary in 1997 when... Read more

Eight tonnes of drugs dumped

By Gary Culliton | 24 November 2008 | Health Management

Almost eight tonnes of medicines, worth between €2 and €3 million, were returned unused to 167 pharmacies in a 12-month period, figures from a HSE pilot scheme show. Analysis of the drug-classes returned indicates that the greatest proportion is drugs... Read more

HSE delays decision on bonus for CEO

Dara Gantly | 21 November 2008 | Industrial Relations

The Health Service Executive has again delayed the decision on whether to grant CEO Prof Brendan Drumm a controversial bonus pay award of a quarter of his annual salary. The Executive decided to pay senior staff bonuses worth a total... Read more

Are Brian and Enda fit to govern? asks Owen

Dara Gantly | 21 November 2008 | Public Health

Anyone who runs for a high office such as Taoiseach should have an independent health examination to ensure their ability to govern. Lord David Owen, a trained doctor and member of the House of Lords, also believes that political leaders... Read more

Negligence cases due to values change

Peter McCarthy | 21 November 2008 | Regulation

The rise in medical negligence cases during the last two decades can be partly attributed to a change in society’s values, with people today less deferential towards the professions, a High Court judge has said. Justice Kevin Feeney, speaking at... Read more

Medical devices getting to market faster — NSAI

Greg Baxter | 21 November 2008 | Regulation

More resources to add staff and new application procedures have significantly accelerated the ability of the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) to approve medical devices, and get products to market faster. The NSAI approves CE markings for products in... Read more

Cheaper research from all-Ireland gene library

Ian McGuinness | 21 November 2008 | Research and Education

An all-Ireland gene library is being planned, which would ‘make it relatively cheap to conduct research’, the CEO of the charity Molecular Medicine Ireland (MMI) has said. Speaking at the AGM of the Medical Research Charities Group, Dr Ruth Barrington... Read more

Dust and dirt key to asthma research

Ian McGuinness | 21 November 2008 | Public Health

Asthma research is being conducted into dust and dirt to see if a form of inoculation can be created that will prevent people from developing the illness, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health has been informed. Dr Pat Manning, Chairman... Read more

MRSA screening is 'not clinically indicated'

Ian McGuinness | 21 November 2008 | Public Health

Public concern and anxiety are the reasons behind most requests for consultant microbiologists to conduct MRSA screening on samples sent from the community, the HSE South has said. The statement was made at a recent meeting of the HSE South’s... Read more

Coe opens 'world-class' sports medicine facility

Gary Culliton | 21 November 2008 | Private Healthcare

A new €75 million ‘world-class’ hospital that brings together the expertise of consultants in Orthopaedics, Diagnostics and Sports Medicine in a purpose built clinic was officially opened this week by Lord Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London 2012 Olympic Games.... Read more

Top rate health tax relief axed

Gary Culliton | 21 November 2008 | Public Health

Health expenses relief will be granted at the standard rate only from 1 January 2009 with the exception of nursing home expenses which will be available at the taxpayers marginal rate in 2009, under the new Finance Bill. Most medical... Read more

Start dates draw near for psychiatric units

Dara Gantly | 21 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Construction on a new mental health unit at Letterkenny General Hospital could commence as early as March next year, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has confirmed. The proposed-built, single-story, 1,790 square-metre facility is being funded via the National Development Plan,... Read more

Castleheaney medical centre plans invalid

Ian McGuinness | 21 November 2008 | Planning and Development

Plans to build a two-storey medical centre in Castleheaney in Dublin 15 were declared invalid last month by the local authority. Fingal County Council told Irish Medical Times that the reason it declared the proposal invalid was because there were... Read more

The HSE carbon footprint

21 November 2008 | Health Management

Petrol products worth €80 million are being bought by the Health Service Executive, it has been announced. The contract was awarded to two companies earlier this month. They were: Inver Energy of Blackpool Business Park in Cork and Chevron (Ireland)... Read more

Payment for involuntary admissions

21 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Over €4 million is to be paid by the Health Service Executive to a company that will assist with involuntary admissions of psychiatric patients. The HSE recently announced that the contract, worth €4,128,326, was awarded to Kalbay Limited of Santa... Read more

Patient volumes near capacity at D-Doc

Greg Baxter | 20 November 2008 | General Practice

D-Doc, the north Dublin GP out-of-hours service, is celebrating its two-year anniversary next week, and is already seeing patient volumes near capacity, said Dr Mel Bates, the medical director of Northdoc, which operates the D-Doc service in partnership with the... Read more

First robot-assisted surgery in AMNCH

Gary Culliton | 20 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Tallaght Hospital (AMNCH) launched a new initiative when it used a robot to assist in removing a large colon cancer tumour from a patient. This was the first time that a patient in Ireland had such a major colorectal procedure... Read more

Report on continuing education in pharmacy

Gary Culliton | 20 November 2008 | Research and Education

The Irish Centre for Continuing Pharmaceutical Education (ICCPE) launched a report at the All Ireland Pharmacy Healthcare Conference in Dundalk on 10/11 November on ‘Continuing Pharmaceutical Education in Ireland’. Tom Mc Guinn, Chairman of the ICCPE Management Committee said, “The... Read more

Legionella bacteria in Lourdes water supply

Gary Culliton | 19 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Bacteria that can cause life-threatening Legionnaires Disease has been discovered in the water supply at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. Legionella was discovered in a 'random routine sampling of water outlets' at the hospital and an information session... Read more

Health Insurance changes criticised

Gary Culliton | 19 November 2008 | Private Healthcare

Quinn Healthcare has said the dominant position of the VHI will be reinforced by health insurance changes announced yesterday. "This could have serious implications on the level of competition in the market which is not in the interests of health... Read more

MS services are poor

Greg Baxter | 19 November 2008 | Public Health

Ireland has scored poorly, relative to the rest of Europe, on care for multiple sclerosis from the EU body Multiple Sclerosis — the Information Dividend (MS-ID). According to the Dividend’s MS Barometer 2008, which compares MS services around Europe, Ireland... Read more

Time to enter Health Literacy Awards

Terence Cosgrave | 19 November 2008 | Research and Education

A new national health literacy campaign to help health professionals communicate clearly with patients was launched last week. The initiative was announced along with the call for entries for the Crystal Clear Health Literacy Awards 2009 and aims to provide... Read more

Four IT systems for GPs get quality label

Dara Gantly | 19 November 2008 | General Practice

Four general practice IT systems used in the Irish market have achieved the 2008 quality label awarded by the European Institute for Health Records (EuroRec). EuroRec is the European Commission funded-body responsible for the quality accreditation of electronic healthcare record... Read more

60,000 self-harm cases ‘hidden’ and untreated

Ian McGuinness | 19 November 2008 | Public Health

There are approximately 60,000 ‘hidden’ instances of people deliberately harming themselves every year, the Director of Research at the National Suicide Research Foundation has said. Speaking to the Joint Oireachtas Sub-Committee on the High Level of Suicide in Ireland, Dr... Read more

Conference for carers

Gary Culliton | 18 November 2008 | Public Health

Máire Hoctor, the Minister for Older People recently addressed the Carers Association National Conference for Family Carers. The focus of the conference was the health and wellbeing of Carers. It included presentations on the needs of carers and the affects... Read more

Belfast obesity conference

Gary Culliton | 18 November 2008 | Public Health

An international conference has been held in Belfast to look at modern developments in tackling obesity. The ‘All Island Conference on Obesity – Obesity: Weighing up the evidence’ was jointly opened by Northern Ireland Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey and Republic... Read more

Maternity hospital appeal rejected

Gary Culliton | 17 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Beacon Medical Group's appeal against refusal of permission for a €160m maternity hospital in Dublin's Sandyford has been rejected by An Bord Pleanala, Irish Medical Times has learned. Constraints on water and drainage were cited as reasons for rejecting the... Read more

Pharmacists' role to expand?

Gary Culliton | 17 November 2008 | Regulation

The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) has proposed a radical expansion of the community pharmacists’ role in a bid to kickstart stalled contract talks with the HSE. The IPU claims this will achieve considerable savings in HSE drug costs. Many General... Read more

Doctors begin free screening after HSE scraps programme

Greg Baxter | 17 November 2008 | Public Health

Doctors in Dublin and Belfast, working in the private sector, have begun their own free diabetic retinopathy screening programme, because the HSE scrapped a screening programme that should have started a year ago. The Leeson Eye Institute has started to... Read more

No response from IMO on medical cards

Ian McGuinness | 17 November 2008 | Industrial Relations

The Irish Medical Organisation is still refusing to reveal its response to the Government’s decision to introduce a new fee to be paid to family doctors for all medical-card holders aged 70 or over. Last month’s report, drawn up by... Read more

Government delivers 5% of promised new consultants

Dara Gantly | 14 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Just 108 additional and 98 replacement consultant posts have been approved since the Government came into office in June 2007, well short of the 2,000 extra consultants promised in its Programme for Government. According to figures released by the National... Read more

Health Research Board reveals €10,000 surplus in 2007 annual report

Ian McGuinness | 14 November 2008 | Research and Education

The Health Research Board (HRB) had a €10,164 surplus last year, compared to a deficit of nearly €4.3 million in its revenue income and expenditure account in 2006. The Board’s annual report for 2007 showed that it received €39.19 million... Read more

Dilapidated limb-fitting clinic to be relocated

Dara Gantly | 14 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

A decision on the possible relocation of the limb-fitting clinic at St Finbarr’s Hospital to an alternative site in Cork city could be made by the end of the month. Minister of State at the Department of the Environment Deputy... Read more

Confusion over NCSS's integration into the HSE

Ian McGuinness | 14 November 2008 | Public Health

The Department of Health and the National Cancer Screening Service are issuing different statements about when the latter organisation is due to be integrated into the Health Service Executive (HSE). When Health Minister Mary Harney announced a rationalisation of 15... Read more

Agencies failing to follow HSE locum guidelines?

Greg Baxter | 14 November 2008 | Health Management

The locum recruitment agency Locumlink, which was just awarded ‘Ireland’s Best Recruitment Agency in the Healthcare Sector’ by the National Recruitment Federation, has stated that hospitals are continuing to hire locums from agencies that fail to commit to the procedures... Read more

Encryption of data not yet completed

Alan Deeley | 14 November 2008 | Health Management

A HSE undertaking to have all devices containing sensitive data encrypted by the end of September has still not been fulfilled – despite the furore over the loss of laptops containing indicators of individuals’ health. In information supplied to Irish... Read more

'Substantial minority' of addicts take BZP

Alan Deeley | 13 November 2008 | News

Garda raids sought to find licensing lapses in so-called head shops (which sell products billed as natural highs) last week, but it is another, entirely permissible substance that increasingly plays a part in the lives of heroin addicts coming into... Read more

TDs and senators engage with mental health advocates

Ian McGuinness | 13 November 2008 | Public Health

Mental health advocates and organisations have been engaged in private information and education sessions with groups of TDs and senators of different political parties for the past two and a half years, it has emerged. The latest meeting, involving the... Read more

OCF to fund research into oesophageal cancer

13 November 2008 | Research and Education

The Oesophageal Cancer Fund (OCF) is pledging up to €500,000 over three years for research into oesophageal cancer and is inviting applications for programme grant funding for national multi-centre, collaborative, clinical research into any aspect of oesophageal cancer care. Established... Read more

Galway academic is VP of Optical Society

13 November 2008 | Research and Education

An academic from NUI Galway has been elected the 2009 vice-president of the Optical Society of America. Prof Chris Dainty, NUI Galway’s chair of applied physics in the School of Physics, will automatically become president-elect in 2010 and then the... Read more

Healthcare: Ireland ranked 15th in Europe

Gary Culliton | 13 November 2008 | Foreign News

Ireland has the 15th most consumer friendly healthcare system in Europe, according to the 2008 Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) launched today in Brussels. This is one step up from last year’s 16th position. “First and foremost, the Irish should... Read more

Beaumont co-location gets Bord Pleanála go-ahead

Gary Culliton | 12 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

The co-located hospital at Beaumont in Dublin has been granted final planning permission, with conditions, following an appeal to An Bord Pleanála, Irish Medical Times has learned. Construction work is due to commence in the first part of next year.... Read more

Franciscans' centre gets go-ahead

Ian McGuinness | 12 November 2008 | Public Health

Franciscans who provide services to homeless people and drug users in Dublin’s inner city have succeeded in appealing against a council decision that could have resulted in having to close a proposed new multi-million euro development within four years. The... Read more

HSE to provide 30-bed unit for people with disabilities

By Ian McGuinness | 12 November 2008 | Planning and Development

Nearly €4.5 million is being spent by the Health Service Executive on a 30-bed unit in Cork for people with intellectual disabilities. A contract worth €4.44 million for building the facility was recently awarded to Walls Construction of Glounthane in... Read more

Over 60s die from drug-poisonings

Ian Mcguinness | 12 November 2008 | Public Health

Nearly ten per cent of people who died from drug-related poisoning from 1998 to 2005 were aged 60 years or over, it has emerged. Health Research Board research shows that in this period there were 2,442 drug-related deaths, of which... Read more

Suicide prevention idea would need resources

Alan Deeley | 11 November 2008 | Public Health

A radical overhaul of suicide prevention services taking place in Wales would have limited effect if applied here, a prominent consultant in child and adolescent psychiatry has said. Dr Yvonne Begley, a key assessor for young people brought to the... Read more

CUH gets colorectal ANP

Gary Culliton | 11 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

A nurse in Cork University Hospital (CUH) has been accredited as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) in colorectal nursing; a first for the nursing profession in Ireland. Ms Anne Murphy, Coloproctology Clinical Nurse Specialist, received her accreditation from the National... Read more

Mater and ICGP to tackle alcohol abuse

Dara Gantly | 11 November 2008 | Public Health

THE ICGP and the Mater Hospital have joined forces to produce a new health information leaflet on the dangers of alcohol. The new updated pamphlet, ‘Alcohol – Body and Soul’, was launched last Saturday by Dr John Sheehan, Mater Consultant... Read more

First case identified of influenza-A virus

Gary Culliton | 11 November 2008 | Public Health

The National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL) has identified the first case of influenza-A virus this winter. The case was detected by a network of 54 sentinel general practices who report weekly on the number of patients with influenza-like illness. The... Read more

One in five waiting a year to be admitted

Ian McGuinness | 11 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Almost one in five people who were on hospital inpatient waiting lists last year had been waiting for a year or more to be admitted to hospital, a Central Statistics Office survey found. The Quarterly National Household Survey, which covers... Read more

CMH plans may be 'shelved'

Gary Culliton | 10 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Plans to locate the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) at the Thornton Hall prison site may now be shelved, as the Government seeks cash guarantees from the consortium selected to build the prison. The CMH move will be dropped if the... Read more

Our Lady’s Hospice cutbacks are a ‘national disaster’

Greg Baxter | 10 November 2008 | Health Management

The decision to close nearly all the beds in the Rheumatology Rehabilitation Unit at Our Lady’s Hospice in Harold’s Cross could be a ‘national disaster’ if they are not re-opened in January as promised, according to one of the country’s... Read more

Pay deals to cost the HSE €234 million

Dara Gantly | 10 November 2008 | Industrial Relations

The full year cost of the 2.5 per cent pay increase under ‘Towards 2016’ to the HSE has been estimated at €189 million, with a further bill of €95 million looming to meet a 3.5 per cent pay award next... Read more

Junior docs can train while doing PhDs

Ian McGuinness | 10 November 2008 | Research and Education

Junior doctors will be able to train to become a consultant while simultaneously conducting research to acquire a PhD, it has emerged. The initiative, which is being established by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the Health Service Executive (HSE),... Read more

Salary details of special advisors released to Dáil

Dara Gantly | 10 November 2008 | Health Management

The two main advisors to the Minister for Health Mary Harney, special advisor Ms Patricia Ryan and press secretary Mr Derek Cunningham, recorded annual salaries of €150,711 and €122,384 respectively as at 23 October 2008. Releasing the information in the... Read more

New emergency theatre now a priority for CUH

Dara Gantly | 10 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Cork University Hospital hopes to establish a new dedicated emergency theatre early next year. The provision of an in-house emergency theatre is a high priority for CUH management, Hospital Network Manager for the Southern Hospitals Group Mr Gerry O’Dwyer has... Read more

Department to get insurance advice

Ian McGuinness | 10 November 2008 | Health Management

The Department of Health is to pay consultants to advise it on insurance issues. Late last month, the Depart-ment awarded a contract to Life Strategies Limited, based in Dublin 2, to provide these services. The notice announcing the award stated... Read more

HIQA announces its investigation team

Gary Culliton | 10 November 2008 | Health Management

The Health Information and Quality Authority has announced the membership of the investigation team that will undertake the independent investigation into the quality and safety of patient care at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Ennis. The investigation will be undertaken by... Read more

New Oncology Clinical Trials Unit in CUH

Gary Culliton | 10 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

Health Minister Mary Harney has officially opened the Oncology Clinical Trials Unit in Cork University Hospital (CUH). The unit provides access to research studies designed to test new treatments in cancer care. A clinical trial is set up at the... Read more

Young people cardiac risk centre

10 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

A new centre for cardiac risk in young people has been officially opened at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin. Cardiac Risk in Young (CRY) will provide a cardiologist and a facility for 2,000 people to be screened there every year. But... Read more

Junior docs can train while doing PhDs

Ian McGuinness | 07 November 2008 | Industrial Relations

Junior doctors will be able to train to become a consultant while simultaneously conducting research to acquire a PhD, it has emerged. The initiative, which is being established by the Health Research Board (HRB) and the Health Service Executive (HSE),... Read more

Website vacancies are not being filled

Ian McGuinness | 06 November 2008 | Industrial Relations

The Mental Health Comm-ission has said it is not actually recruiting consultant psychiatrists, even though its website states that there are vacancies for such doctors in relation to Mental Health Tribunals. A spokeswoman for the Commission said that the notification... Read more

Women delaying visits to their GPs

Ian McGuinness | 05 November 2008 | General Practice

Some women who had symptoms of breast cancer delayed going to a GP to receive a check-up because they knew that BreastCheck would arrive in their area in the coming months, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Cancer Screening... Read more

Trial examines injection of stem cells into heart

Greg Baxter | 05 November 2008 | Research and Education

Irish doctors could be injecting stem cells directly into patients’ hearts in order to repair damage caused by heart attacks, if a groundbreaking trial in the UK shows success. Prof John Martin, who delivered the Irish Heart Foundation’s Mulcahy Lecture... Read more

Patients most likely to make FOI requests of HSE

Ian McGuinness | 05 November 2008 | Health Management

Patients are more likely than all other groups combined to submit freedom of information (FOI) requests to the Health Service Executive, according to the latest statistics. The Tenth Report on Freedom of Information, which was published by the Department of... Read more

IMT story confirmed in North East look-back review report

Gary Culliton | 05 November 2008 | Health Management

The HSE has confirmed an Irish Medical Times story of three months ago (August 1, 2008) by publishing the final report of the Look Back Review of Chest X-Rays and CT Scans carried out at the Louth Meath Hospitals. The... Read more

HPV vaccination axing lashed

05 November 2008 | Public Health

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has criticised the Government's decision not to provide free cervical cancer vaccines to girls between 10 and 12 years old. During Leaders' Questions in the Dáil today, he said the move was short-sighted and was... Read more

Awareness campaign on medicines and driving

Gary Culliton | 04 November 2008 | Regulation

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, (PSI), the statutory regulator for pharmacists and pharmacies, and the Road Safety Authority (RSA), today launched a public awareness campaign on medicines and driving at the PSI’s annual National Pharmacy Summit in Royal Hospital Kilmainham,... Read more

Waterford city gets screening services

Derbhile Dromey | 04 November 2008 | Public Health

Two screening program-mes that aim to prevent sudden death as a result of cardiac arrest are being offered in Waterford city. The screening services aim to detect abnormalities in cardiac rhythm that may lead to cardiac arrest. The Whitfield Clinic... Read more

Cork hospitals should combine strategies in the rollout of cancer scheme

Alan Deeley | 04 November 2008 | Hospital Medicine

South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital should enter into a combined strategy with Cork University Hospital in the rollout of the improved breast cancer care scheme, the Seanad has been told. Cork South Central Senator Jerry Buttimer has asked the Minister for... Read more

NCSS tenders for two-year contract

Ian McGuinness | 04 November 2008 | Public Health

The National Cancer Screening Service has invited companies to tender for a two-year contract to provide it with a service, even though the NCSS is due to be integrated into the HSE next year. On 17 October, an invitation to... Read more

Authorisation for Clane ACU from IMB

Gary Culliton | 04 November 2008 | Regulation

Following a number of inspections in 2006 and 2008, the Assisted Conception Unit (ACU) at Clane General Hospital has been licensed as an authorised Tissue and Cell Establishment by the Irish Medicines Board and is the first Tissue Establishment (IVF... Read more

Major tax relief on health insurance for older people

03 November 2008 | Health Management

The Government is planning major changes to tax breaks on health insurance premiums, the Irish Independent has reported. Those over 60 years of age are now facing hikes in their premiums of more than 60pc, sources say. The Government's proposal... Read more

CF positions remain to be created

Greg Baxter | 03 November 2008 | Industrial Relations

Almost three years since ringfenced funding for cystic fibrosis services was first allocated by the State, only a portion of the 80 new planned CF posts have been created. Meanwhile, eight new interim beds that had been promised for CF... Read more

Ireland escapes EU court appearance

Dara Gantly | 03 November 2008 | Medico-Legal

Ireland has been given a reprieve by the European Commission and will not have to appear before the European Court of Justice over a failure to implement new legislation on the recognition of doctors’ qualifications across the EU. Instead, the... Read more

€100,000 spend on newsletter for HSE

By Dara Gantly | 03 November 2008 | Health Management

The Health Service Executive (HSE) is spending €100,000 a year to produce its national staff newsletter, ‘Health Matters’. Published quarterly, the average cost of each edition of the 32-page magazine is €42,596, excluding VAT. The content of the newsletter is... Read more

Mayo in the firing line for cutbacks

Gary Culliton | 03 November 2008 | Health Management

Fine Gael Mayo Deputy John O’Mahony has claimed that Mayo is set for swingeing health cutbacks after a source informed him €7 million will be slashed from frontline services in the county. “I have it on good authority that frontline... Read more

South east: ten per cent of NTPF numbers — report

Derbhile Dromey | 03 November 2008 | Health Management

A recent report from the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has revealed a high level of take-up of the scheme in the south east. A total of 17,116 patients availed of the scheme to the end of September. This is... Read more

Experts urge patience regarding MS drug

Alan Deeley | 03 November 2008 | Research and Education

Consultant neurologist Dr John Moran of Bon Secours Hospital, Co Galway, has cautioned that doctors and patients must wait for ‘all the ups and downs’ in the development of alemtuzumab for people with multiple sclerosis, as initial clinical trials in... Read more