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News: June 2009

Public hospitals now 'uneconomic' – VHI

Gary Culliton | 30 June 2009 | Private Healthcare

VHI Healthcare is cutting fees paid to hospital consultants and GPs by five per cent, under a new agreement due to come into effect tomorrow. The insurer says it is now becoming 'uneconomic' to use private beds in public voluntary... Read more

EU adopts plan for smoke free Europe by 2012

Greg Baxter | 30 June 2009 | Public Health

The European Commission on health has adopted its official recommendation for EU member states to create a smoke free Europe by 2012. The proposal calls on all member states to protect their citizens from exposure to tobacco smoke by 2012.... Read more

HIQA urges health 'tracker'

Gary Culliton | 30 June 2009 | Regulation

HIQA has published a Report on Recommendations for a Unique Health Identifier for Individuals in Ireland. A method for safely identifying patients in both public and private aspects of the health and social care system should be introduced as soon... Read more

Inquiry continues into Dr Andrew Wakefield

Dara Gantly | 29 June 2009 | Regulation

The Fitness to Practise Panel of the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK is due to complete its latest sitting of the public inquiry into Dr Andrew Wakefield this Friday, June 26. Together with Prof John Walker-Smith and Prof... Read more

Supplement helps slow AMD

Niamh Mullen | 29 June 2009 | Research and Education

IRISH scientists have developed a supplement that slows the progression of the world’s leading cause of blindness. The first clinical study of its kind into age-related macular degeneration (AMD) was undertaken by researchers at Queen’s University in Belfast and Waterford... Read more

Patients would donate tissue for research

Niamh Mullen | 28 June 2009 | Research and Education

Most men attending urology clinics would be willing to donate prostate tissue to a biobank for cancer research. That was the main finding of research from the School of Public Health and Population Science at University College Dublin (UCD), and... Read more

Just 12 applications for HSE retirement scheme

27 June 2009 | Health Management

The HSE's early retirement scheme has had 1,158 enquiries but only 12 applications, a reply to a Parliamentary Question has revealed. Fine Gael Health Spokesperson, Dr James Reilly, said the Government’s Budget measures to cut the State payroll bill through... Read more

HSE launches 'safe gay sex' campaign

26 June 2009 | Public Health

As part of the ongoing actions by the Gay Health Network (GHN) the, Rubber Up With Pride Campaign 2009, takes place tomorrow (Saturday). To encourage men who have sex with men (MSM), to practice safer sex by using condoms, the... Read more

NCHDs vote to accept proposals on European Working Time Directive

26 June 2009 | Industrial Relations

More than eight out of ten IMO NCHDs have voted to accept Labour Court proposals on the implementation of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). Doctors had until 5pm yesterday (June 25) to return their postal ballots to IMO House... Read more

Dermot Power joins HSE Board

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Health Management

Dr Dermot Power, consultant in geriatric medicine at the Mater and Medical Director of St Mary’s Hospital, Phoenix Park has officially become the newest member of the Board of the HSE, six months after the resignation of his predecessor. Appointed... Read more

Gender turnaround for GPs

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | General Practice

A new report analysing the labour market for healthcare professions has predicted that by 2020, the current gender distribution of GPs will be reversed in favour of females with a ratio of 65:35. This projected dominance by women, together with... Read more

Administrators of nursing homes receive €12.8m

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Public Health

The administrators of the nursing homes repayment scheme, KPMG/McCann Fitzgerald, have received €12.8 million since the launch of the process, which was back in August 2006. In excess of 17,400 payments have been made to claimants at a value of... Read more

19 prosecuted for selling to minors

Gary Culliton | 26 June 2009 | Public Health

There were 19 prosecutions for sales of tobacco to minors last year. The offences resulted from test purchase inspections by Environmental Health Officers (EHOs), according to the Annual Report of the Office of Tobacco Control. A two-day test purchase training... Read more

Taxi spend varies enormously and is not measured

Niamh Mullen | 26 June 2009 | Health Management

THE Dublin Mid-Leinster region of the HSE spends almost three times more than what some other regions spend on taxis — almost E6 million more on taxis than HSE South, for example, despite having almost the same population. A total... Read more

Water, water everywhere but now it’s from the tap

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Health Management

The Department of Health has cut its expenditure on bottled water by more than 85 per cent over the past thee years, it has emerged. In 2006, the cost of bottled water and water coolers at the Department’s headquarters at... Read more

Divine intervention or devilish details?

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

While the Government’s co-location project was given a major boost this month in Cork and Limerick, God may have intervened over similar proposals in Dublin. Plans to develop the 196-bed co-located hospital at St James’s have been delayed over the... Read more

GP teams to implement community oncology plan

Niamh Mullen | 26 June 2009 | Public Health

Teams of GPs, community based nurses and other professionals are being established at seven locations to work with the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) to implement the Community Oncology Programme. The Regional Implementation Teams will develop localised work plans, which... Read more

New Cork private hospital clarification

26 June 2009 | Private Healthcare

In an article in last week’s Irish Medical Times regarding the new private hospital in Cork developed by Sheehan Medical, it stated that Sheehan Medical currently runs the Blackrock and Galway Clinics. IMT wishes to clarify that Sheehan Medical has... Read more

Cross-border projects get €30m in funding

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

Twelve large-scale cross-border health projects are to benefit from E30 million in new EU funding over the next four years. Patients in Donegal, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth should have greater access to ENT, vascular and urology services across the border... Read more

New stroke-care unit opens at AMNCH Tallaght

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

The Acute Stroke Care Unit at the Adelaide and Meath Hospital Dublin, incorporating the National Children’s Hospital (AMNCH), Tallaght aims to reduce morbidity and mortality by 25 per cent in stroke patients. Due to be officially opened today (Friday June... Read more

Aggressive therapy needed for Crohn's

Mary Anne Kenny from Killarney | 26 June 2009 | Public Health

The current treatment method for Crohn’s disease (CD) might show better patient outcomes if it were to be reversed, according to a world expert on the condition. Dr Stephen Hanauer – Chief of Gastroenterology and Nutrition at the University of... Read more

Self-harm patients not being assessed

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Public Health

A high proportion of deliberate self-harm patients leave emergency departments (EDs) before receiving an assessment, new research has found. Since 2002, the National Registry of Deliberate Self Harm has recorded presentations of deliberate self-harm (DSH) to hospital EDs. Over the... Read more

HSE to meet with childrens' hospitals

Niamh Mullen | 26 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

The HSE will meet with the three paediatric hospitals soon to discuss options for facilitating patients who need spinal deformity surgery. Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin comfirmed it submitted a document to the HSE in January with suggestions about... Read more

Hospitals face tight call to draw up new rosters for NCHDs

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

Local hospital committees will have their work cut out for them drawing up new rosters incorporating the terms of the Labour Court recommendations, if NCHDs accept the proposals by ballot this week. Doctors had until 5pm on Thursday June 25... Read more

Swine Flu clinics chosen

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Public Health

The HSE has identified the location, logistics and staffing required to set up 121 ‘Flu Clinics’ across the country to deal with an escalation in the swine flu pandemic, Irish Medical Times has learned. These flu clinics will provide diagnostic... Read more

Early treatment always best

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Public Health

The slogan for Men’s Health Week — ‘don’t wait until it’s too late’ — applies as much to mental health as it does to physical wellbeing, the College of Psychiatry of Ireland has stressed. Commenting on the theme of ‘Men... Read more

D4 centre refused planning

Dara Gantly | 26 June 2009 | Planning and Development

An application for planning permission for a new a 785 sqm medical centre and pharmacy in Dublin 4 has been refused by Dublin City Council (DCC). The development at 240 Merrion Road — the applicants for which included Dr Enda... Read more

Royal College of Physicians in Ireland opposes introduction of European Working Time Directive

Dara Gantly | 25 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) has called for the European Working Times Directive (EWTD) to be scraped just a month before it is due to be fully implemented. In a damning statement released yesterday (June 24), the... Read more

Ireland referred to European Court of Justice on VHI

Dara Gantly | 25 June 2009 | Regulation

The European Commission has today (June 25) referred Ireland to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the exemption of Vhi Healthcare from certain EU rules on non-life insurance. The referral follows a ‘complementary reasoned opinion’ sent in late November,... Read more

Monitoring of food marketing to children urged

25 June 2009 | Public Health

Representatives from the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) yesterday appeared at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, advocating close monitoring of food marketing to children. They also stressed the impact promotion of unhealthy food can... Read more

Crumlin: 'no further ward or theatre closures'

24 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin has announced that no further wards or theatres will be closed at the hospital in the medium term. The hospital faces a challenge in delivering its service plan for 2009 within its allocated budget... Read more

Prosecutions for tobacco sales to minors

23 June 2009 | Public Health

Test purchase inspections conducted by Environmental Health Officers (EHOs), resulted in 19 prosecutions for sales to minors offences last year, the Annual Report of the Office of Tobacco Control reveals. A comprehensive two-day test purchase training programme was Operated in... Read more

Drug fees are cut

22 June 2009 | Health Management

Minister Harney has announced reductions in payments to community pharmacists to reduce the rapid rise in State expenditure on drugs and medicines. The Minister announced reductions on payments to pharmacists under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act... Read more

Drumm suggests code of conduct for pharma

By Dara Gantly | 22 June 2009 | Public Health

The Department of Health has acknowledged that rules governing the relationship between doctors and the pharmaceutical industry in Ireland are not as far reaching as measures adopted in some other countries. HSE CEO Prof Brendan Drumm suggested to the Department... Read more

Meret contracted for ten centres

Niamh Mullen | 22 June 2009 | Public Health

MERET Healthcare has been contracted by the HSE to build primary care centres at 10 locations. The first three centres will be built in the next 18 months in the north-west, west and east, in partnership with Sisk Group, which... Read more

Histopathology patient safety system launched

Niamh Mullen | 22 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

A programme to allow hospitals monitor and evaluate their performance against national benchmarks to improve patient safety was launched this week. The Royal College of Physicians of Ireland Faculty of Pathology, along with the HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme and... Read more

Men's Health Week launched

Mary Anne Kenny | 22 June 2009 | Public Health

GPs must make their practices as user-friendly as possible to help men overcome one of the biggest risks to their health — their reluctance to seek help when necessary, or to take part in health improvement programmes. This is according... Read more

Nurses urged to find solution

Dara Gantly | 22 June 2009 | Public Health

The Irish Association of Directors of Nursing and Midwifery has urged all parties to the nursing dispute at Sligo General to find solutions that will ensure patients are not exposed to further risk. Commenting on last month’s one-day strike, President... Read more

Pharma companies to pool their resources

Dara Gantly | 22 June 2009 | Research and Education

Pharmaceutical competitors across Europe are pooling their resources for the first time, in an effort to accelerate the development of better medicines. Under a new public-private partnership, 15 new research projects aimed at bringing innovative medicines more quickly to the... Read more

No ideology in planning

Dara Gantly | 22 June 2009 | Planning and Development

An Bord Pleanála has reiterated that ‘ideological debate’ around the issue of co-located hospitals does not form part of the planning process and cannot be considered by the Bord in any appeals. According to the Inspector’s Report attached to the... Read more

Pilot elder mediation service is launched

Niamh Mullen | 22 June 2009 | Public Health

The ALZHEIMER Society of Ireland has launched a Dublin-based pilot elder mediation service for families living with dementia. The Society believes elder mediation services could provide a new model to meet the needs of families dealing with stress and family... Read more

Galway professor up for major award

By Dara Gantly | 22 June 2009 | Research and Education

A professor at NUI Galway has been nominated by the US Center for Disease Control for a major award for his research into swine flu. The paper — co-authored by Prof Anthony Moran of the School of Natural Sciences —... Read more

New psychiatrist for Wexford

22 June 2009 | Public Health

A new psychiatrist has been appointed in Wexford and will take up his post in August, Irish Medical Times has learned. The HSE National Recruitment Service (NRS) recently received instruction from the National Employment Monitoring Unit to proceed with the... Read more

Radiation/oncology centres for Dublin

Dara Gantly | 22 June 2009 | Planning and Development

Dublin City Council has granted planning permission to the HSE to develop new radiation oncology centres at St James’s and Beaumont hospitals in Dublin. The 6,066 sq m facility at St James’s and the 4,638 sq m centre at Beaumont... Read more

Contractor named for new private hospital at St Vincent's, Elm Park

Dara Gantly | 22 June 2009 | Private Healthcare

St Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG) has named John Paul Construction as the main contractor for the construction of its new 260-bed private hospital. Located on the St Anthony’s site near the existing private hospital, the contract for the new 28,000... Read more

Men’s sexual health – an overview

Dr Andrew Rynne | 19 June 2009 | Features

Dr Andrew Rynne takes a look back at the history of men's sexual health over the last 40 years and concludes that we have come a long way... Read more

No summer breaks for consultants?

Niamh Mullen | 19 June 2009 | Industrial Relations

Consultants are worried they will not be able to take summer holidays because the HSE has insisted that locums must be listed on the Specialist Register of the Medical Council. A circular from the HSE to hospital management, issued on... Read more

HSE could face ‘significant’ risks over transition

Niamh Mullen | 19 June 2009 | Regulation

THE HSE has said it could be exposed to ‘significant clinical, legal and financial risks’ if the transition to the new Register of Medical Practitioners did not go smoothly. It also expressed concerns about how the rules would be implemented.... Read more

Ennis criteria would shut private hospitals

Dara Gantly | 19 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

If the criteria applied to Ennis General Hospital by the Health Information and Quality Authority was applied to a raft of smaller private hospitals across the country, they too would be facing closure, a leading IMO doctor has warned. Dr... Read more

Compo should be in next contract

Dara Gantly | 19 June 2009 | Industrial Relations

The Labour Court has ruled that the issue of compensation for any loss of earnings due to implementing the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) should be dealt with in the next round of talks on a new NCHD contract. The... Read more

New diagnostic service launched

Gary Culliton | 19 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

Heath Minister Mary Harney will launch the new National Rapid Prostate Cancer Diagnostic Service today with the first two Rapid Access Assessment Clinics now open at Galway University Hospital and St James’s Hospital. Developed by the two hospitals with the... Read more

Go-ahead for 75 Cork beds

Terence Cosgrave | 18 June 2009 | Private Healthcare

A new 75-bed private hospital will be operational in Cork by April 2010 – creating 350 jobs at the City Gate development in Mahon, Irish Medical Times can exclusively reveal. A deal has been signed by Sheehan Medical and the... Read more

INO backs Labour Court recommendation

Gary Culliton | 16 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

Members of the Irish Nurses Organisation, who recently engaged in one day of industrial action at Sligo General Hospital, have voted by over 90%, in favour of the recent Labour Court Recommendation. Nurses and Midwives had taken the action in... Read more

Neurology throughput varies hugely in OPDs

Gary Culliton | 15 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

Consultant neurologists at some hospitals see five times as many new patients as specialists in other hospitals, HSE figures show. Consultants see 104 new outpatients each monthly at Dublin’s Mater Hospital, compared to just 21 in Beaumont. HSE data also... Read more

Concern for kids' mental health

Dara Gantly | 15 June 2009 | Public Health

The legal implications of admitting children to adult psychiatric centres have yet to be resolved, some three years after the full implementation of the Mental Health Act. A new paper examining the implementation of the legislation has found that while... Read more

ICGP to examine Specialist Register

Niamh Mullen | 15 June 2009 | General Practice

The Irish College of General Practitioners is to establish the number of GPs not listed on the Medical Council’s Specialist Register with a view to working out a process to make them eligible for inclusion. “The College plans to review... Read more

Crumlin should be ninth centre of excellence

Niamh Mullen | 15 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

OUR Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin should be made a ninth centre of excellence under the Cancer Strategy, according to a leading consultant haematologist. Prof Owen Smith said the Cancer Strategy left out paediatric cancer care and he would like... Read more

Genetic link shown at EHA conference

Mary Anne Kenny | 15 June 2009 | Research and Education

A genetic link to blood cancers was revealed at last week’s Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Berlin. Prof Nick Cross, University of Southampton, told delegates that his team’s research has found a common constitutional JAK haplotype, or... Read more

First Irish genome sequencing lab opens

Gary Culliton | 15 June 2009 | Research and Education

Ireland’s first Genome Sequencing Laboratory — a new cutting-edge DNA-sequencing laboratory which will enable research into psychiatric disorders, infectious diseases, disorders of the immune system and other human diseases — was opened last Monday in Trinity College Dublin’s Institute of... Read more

Gender bias in research papers

Dara Gantly | 15 June 2009 | Research and Education

Less than a quarter of psychiatric research papers published in medical journals have a female first author, according to new research. Presented at the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ (RCP’s) 2009 Annual Meeting last week (June 4), the researchers say their... Read more

Pay report out this month

15 June 2009 | Industrial Relations

A report analysing the labour market for 12 healthcare professions, including GPs, consultants and specialists in public health medicine, is due to be released this month. The FÁS study, carried out on behalf of a joint Department of Health/ HSE... Read more

Council not exempt from hiring freeze

Dara Gantly | 15 June 2009 | Industrial Relations

Despite generating the bulk of its income from fees paid by doctors, the Medical Council is not exempt from the Government’s moratorium on recruitment and promotions in the public services. The Minister for Health Mary Harney has confirmed that as... Read more

Safe Surgery Saves Lives learning workshop

12 June 2009 | Research and Education

A Safe Surgery Saves Lives workshop will be co-hosted by the Health Information and Quality Authority and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) on June 12. The aim of the workshop is to improve safety during surgeries, using... Read more

Harney at Committee 'a farce' – Reilly

Gary Culliton | 12 June 2009 | Health Management

Fine Gael Health Spokesperson, Dr James Reilly TD, today (Thursday) said Minister Harney’s appearance at the Oireachtas Health Committee today was a farce, with the Minister only answering questions that suited her. “If there were Oscars for displays of evasion... Read more

Swine flu: global pandemic declared

Gary Culliton | 12 June 2009 | Public Health

The World Health Organisation has raised the phase of the Influenza Type A (H1N1) to level 6. 'Pandemic' means that an influenza virus, new to humans, has appeared, is spreading and is causing disease in many parts of the world.... Read more

Dr Barry White is first Director of Clinical Care

Gary Culliton | 12 June 2009 | Health Management

Dr Barry White has indicated he is to step down with immediate effect from his current role as Medical Director of the Synchrony consortium — which has been contracted to construct a co-located hospital at St James’s Hospital. Dr White... Read more

Drumm given more power to fight swine flu

Dara Gantly | 12 June 2009 | Public Health

The Board of the HSE has given CEO Prof Brendan Drumm the power to incur all necessary expenditure in the fight against a possible swine flu pandemic. Prof Drumm informed the Board recently that the current level of influenza A... Read more

Doctors call for moratorium on GM foods

12 June 2009 | Public Health

THE IRISH Doctors’ Environmental Association (IDEA) has backed calls for an immediate moratorium on genetically modified (GM) foods. A new position paper from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) had said that GM foods ‘pose a serious health risk’... Read more

Uptake of MMR vaccine hits 73 per cent

12 June 2009 | Public Health

UPTAKE of the campaign to deliver MMR vaccines in schools to combat the ongoing outbreak of mumps is 73 per cent. The campaign began in April and targeted 132,000 4th-, 5th- and 6th-year pupils in 735 schools. Provisional data from... Read more

IMO seeks meeting with Harney on GP fees

Dara Gantly | 12 June 2009 | Industrial Relations

The IMO has sought a meeting with the Minister for Health over the decision to reduce by eight per cent most fees and allowances paid to GPs, writes Dara Gantly. The cuts in respect of medical card and GP-visit card... Read more

Collapse’ of practice in rural areas

Niamh Mullen | 12 June 2009 | General Practice

DOCTORS fear the collapse of general practice in rural areas following the removal of the ‘reciprocal agreement’ from the Medical Practitioners Act. The fears were expressed in a submission to the Medical Council made as part of the response to... Read more

Multi-year budgets for HSE

Dara Gantly | 12 June 2009 | Health Management

The HSE plans to bring in new multi-annual service plans and budgets from next year to cope with the worsening economic outlook. It will involve a plan for 2010, 2011 and beyond, according to HSE CEO Prof Brendan Drumm, as... Read more

NUJ calls for more transparency in FTP hearings

Dara Gantly | 12 June 2009 | Regulation

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is to make representations to the Medical Council to request greater transparency in the way it notifies the public and journalists of Fitness to Practice (FTP) hearings, Irish Medical Times has been informed. Irish... Read more

Over 400 new AIDS cases last year

Gary Culliton | 11 June 2009 | Public Health

New figures released today by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show 405 newly diagnosed case of HIV in Ireland during 2008 – a 3.6% increase compared with 2007 – and 28 new cases of AIDS. The cumulative number of AIDS... Read more

Physical activity guidelines launched

Gary Culliton | 11 June 2009 | Public Health

The Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive have launched The National Guidelines on Physical Activity for Ireland –‘Get Ireland Active’. The aim of these guidelines is to: highlight the importance of physical activity to the health... Read more

Number of swine flu cases here is now 12

Gary Culliton | 10 June 2009 | Public Health

A new case of swine flu has been confirmed here and a US tourist is being treated for swine flu at Roscommon County Hospital. The number of laboratory confirmed cases of Influenza A(H1N1) in Ireland is now 12. The number... Read more

New hospice website for carers

Gary Culliton | 10 June 2009 | Public Health

RTE’s Miriam O’Callaghan has today launched a new website www.carers.ie which aims to provide advice and support for family carers who are caring for a loved one who is in their last few months of life. The website was launched... Read more

Complex acute care to be centralised at one hospital in South

Gary Culliton | 09 June 2009 | Hospital Medicine

Complex acute care should be transferred to one hospital, according to a report by Horwath Consulting Ireland and Teamwork Management Services, published today by the HSE in Cork and Kerry. No hospital is reccommended for closure. Acute surgical services will... Read more

UCC honours Dr Michael Boland

Niamh Mullen | 09 June 2009 | Research and Education

ICGP founder Dr Michael Boland has been awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Medicine by University College Cork (UCC). The annual traditional ceremony at UCC recognises those who have distinguished themselves nationally and international through scholarship, public service or... Read more

Funds allocated for Cork health centre

Dara Gantly | 09 June 2009 | General Practice

A capital allocation of €250,000 has been granted by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to complete the design phase and progress to tender on a new health centre in Carrigaline, Co Cork. Approval was received from Brian Gilroy, HSE National... Read more

New Kerry General facility will benefit students and staff

Dara Gantly | 09 June 2009 | Research and Education

A new education facility at Kerry General Hospital (KGH) will not only benefit UCC students, but will be an important resource for all of the hospital’s staff, according to UCC’s Dean of Medicine. “[It] will be an important re-source in... Read more

Blood for Life Week

09 June 2009 | Public Health

BLOOD for Life Week begins on Sunday, June 14 to coincide with World Blood Donor Day. The IBTS will mark the day with a donor awards ceremony in Kells, while donors who have donated blood or platelets 100 times will... Read more

Downturn means less cosmetic surgery

09 June 2009 | Public Health

An post Medical Officers have been awarded a 64 per cent pay increase as part of a deal to apply outstanding national wage agreements unpaid since 1996. Agreed with the IMO last week, An Post will pay the 200 to... Read more

Musculoskeletal disorders hurt work

09 June 2009 | Public Health

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) cause up to 50 per cent of absences from work and costs the Irish economy €750 million annually, a new report has estimated. MSDs account for more than twice the number of working days lost due to... Read more

Public health docs get overdue monies

Dara Gantly | 08 June 2009 | Public Health

The ‘comprehensive’ acceptance of a new out-of-hours service by public health doctors (PHDs) will see two long-overdue payments to medics finally secured. The interim arrangement, accepted by a ballot of PHDs last week on May 27, will resolve the withholding... Read more

Dublin stroke outcomes fare badly in new study

Niamh Mullen | 08 June 2009 | Public Health

The rate of stroke causing severe disability or death is higher in north Dublin than in Oxfordshire in the UK. A new study led by consultant neurologist, Prof Peter Kelly, of the Mater Hospital in Dublin, also found stroke incidence... Read more

Advisor's salary questioned

Dara Gantly | 08 June 2009 | Health Management

The Taoiseach has defended the fact that the salary of Oliver O’Connor, the Minister for Health’s former programme manager and current advisor, is now paid for by the Department of the Taoiseach. Speaking in the Dáil, Brian Cowen defended Minister... Read more

Mayo General to pay all approved NCHD time

Dara Gantly | 08 June 2009 | Industrial Relations

Mayo General Hospital has agreed to pay all approved unrostered overtime worked by NCHDs from June 1 onwards, IMT has leaned. However, agreement could not be reached at a specially convened conciliation meeting last week between the IMO and management... Read more

New standards published for hospital bugs

Gary Culliton | 08 June 2009 | Public Health

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published new standards to combat the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). The National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections provide direction for health and social care providers on... Read more

Drug savings fall short

Gary Culliton | 08 June 2009 | Health Management

Savings of €73 million (29 per cent of total estimated savings) were achieved between March 2007 and December 2008, under the 2006 IPHA agreement with pharmaceutical manufacturers, a review of the deal carried out by Dr Michael Barry of the... Read more

Expert group seeks funding submissions

Dara Gantly | 08 June 2009 | Health Management

The Expert Group on Resource Allocation and Financing in the Health Sector is seeking submissions on ways to change the resource allocation system within the health service. The Expert Group was set up on April 1 by the Minister for... Read more

Bullying legal costs exceed damages paid to HSE staff

Dara Gantly | 08 June 2009 | Medico-Legal

The amount incurred on legal fees by the HSE on human resources issues relating to bullying continues to outstrip the cost of damages paid out. The Executive spent more than E350,000 on dealing with the issue of bullying last year.... Read more

€1 billion invested in mental health services in 2008

Gary Culliton | 05 June 2009 | Public Health

The annual investment in mental health services is in the region of €1 billion, the HSE’s Annual Report reveals. At the end of 2008, 47 Child and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) teams, which provide community-based, multidisciplinary, mental health support for... Read more

Three missing in air tragedy

Dara Gantly and Niamh Mullen | 05 June 2009 | Obituary

Trinity College Dublin has said it is ‘stunned’ over the fate of the three doctors on the missing Air France flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. Dr Aisling Butler from Roscrea, Dr Jane Deasy from Dublin and Dr Eithne... Read more

Tax breaks for private hospitals to continue

Dara Gantly | 05 June 2009 | Private Healthcare

The Minister for Health has clarified that developers of private hospitals will be able to avail of capital allowances as long as a valid application for full planning permission is submitted before the end of the year. The Minister for... Read more

Public hospitals fail private limit

Gary Culliton | 05 June 2009 | Private Healthcare

Consultants based in public hospitals across the country are failing to meet private work restriction targets set in the new consultants’ Contract. The breaches are revealed in HSE statistics, which show huge variability in the proportion of consultants’ work taken... Read more

FG: Govt. failed to implement obesity report

Gary Culliton | 05 June 2009 | Public Health

Fine Gael Health Spokesperson, Dr James Reilly TD has said the HSE’s Health Status report’s warnings about obesity highlighted the Government’s failure to implement over 85% of the recommendations of the National Taskforce on Obesity. Dr Reilly said: “The Report... Read more

Irish life expectancy rises by three years in a decade.

Gary Culliton | 04 June 2009 | Public Health

The Health Status report published by HSE today shows that life expectancy has increased by about three years over the course of a decade. This dramatic improvement brings Ireland from being close to the bottom of the EU league table... Read more

Roscommon hits vaccine targets

Dara Gantly | 03 June 2009 | Public Health

Roscommon has reached the 95 per cent target rate set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for all childhood vaccines, the HSE has confirmed. In total, 12 local health office areas reached or exceeded the 95 per cent target for... Read more

Shoppers can demand details of chemicals

By Niamh Mullen | 03 June 2009 | Public Health

Shoppers can now demand information on toxic chemicals contained in everyday household products under EU legislation. REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) legislation gives consumers the right to ask manufacturers for details of chemicals in products and packaging,... Read more

RCSI appoints MRH doctors

Niamh Mullen | 03 June 2009 |

Two consultants from the Midland Regional Hospital (MRH) have been appointed to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). Consultant Physician in General Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, Dr Sean Murphy, has been made Associate Professor of Medicine. Consultant Paediatrician,... Read more

Medical school for Limerick

Dara Gantly | 03 June 2009 | Research and Education

A new graduate medical school building in the University of Limerick (UL) is among the projects that will start construction this year as part of the Government’s E200 million building plan for the higher education sector. Announcing the building on... Read more

Three more swine flu cases

Gary Culliton | 03 June 2009 | Public Health

Dr Tony Holohan (pictured), Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health yesterday confirmed a further three cases of Influenza Type A (H1N1) bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Ireland to seven. Two of the patients, an adult... Read more

IMO seeks clarity on cuts to GPs' fees

Niamh Mullen | 02 June 2009 | Industrial Relations

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) will write to Health Minister Mary Harney this week seeking clarification on when cuts to professional fees for GPs will be implemented. IMO GP leader Dr Ronan Boland said the Organisation had still not received... Read more

New therapy may help RA patients

Greg Baxter | 02 June 2009 | Research and Education

A UK expert on rheumatoid arthritis was in Galway this week to talk to rheumatologists about the profile and use of a new biologic therapy for RA in Ireland, tocilizumab. Prof John Isaacs, who is working on breakthrough, first-into-man research... Read more

Minister rejects €50 million 'black hole'

Dara Gantly | 02 June 2009 | Health Management

The Minister for Health has rejected the assertion from HSE CEO Prof Brendan Drumm that the HSE is facing an unforeseen E50 million black hole in its finances due to the new consultant contract. Earlier this month, the HSE CEO... Read more