Day-patient discharges increased by 7.3 per cent and inpatient discharges decreased by 0.2 per cent between 2007-’08, according to the latest ESRI hospital activity figures. The report — which presents information on discharges from acute public hospitals participating in the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry scheme (HIPE) in 2008 — reveals that close to 1.37 million discharges [...]
The average household spends approximately €775 a year on medical and dental fees and on prescription and OTC medications, new figures reveal. The Irish spend more on complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) each year than they do on cough mixtures and indigestion relievers combined, and spend nearly as much in this area as they do [...]
A European strategy is to be published containing a proposal to create a European Union patent, with new innovations to bring novel drugs, therapies and medical technologies to patients, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn told IMT. “I’m working on my first European research and innovation strategy, which will set out how [...]
The Government is presiding over the closure of almost a quarter of the hospital beds in the country, the Fine Gael Health Spokesperson, Dr James Reilly, has claimed. HSE figures show that there are over 1,500 beds closed or unavailable around the country for a variety of reasons including delayed discharges. Three hundred and thirty-three [...]
A new online discussion forum targeted at young GPs went live earlier this month. ‘Doctorsnetwork’ was set up by a number of young doctors following the recent decision to close the ICGP Network of Establishing GPs (NEGs) forum to non-ICGP members. NEGs Director Dr Sinead Murphy said the decision to restrict membership of the Network [...]
The Irish Haemochromatosis Association (IHA) is to hold its first awareness day on the condition next week. Haemochromatosis, a condition where the body absorbs excessive iron, is more common in Ireland than in any other country in the world — so much so that it is known as the ‘Celtic mutation’. As many as one [...]
The level of penicillin resistance among strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae has increased “alarmingly”, the HSE has said. This is mainly related to the high level of antibiotic use outside of hospitals, new figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) show. Although the level of penicillin resistance has increased considerably, particularly between 2004-2008, there was [...]
Researchers in Ireland and elsewhere will be exploring whether a new, very low cost, one-a-day combined ‘polypill’ could reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular problems, in a major new international trial launched this week. The new ‘Red Heart Pill’ — which contains low-dose aspirin, a statin and two blood pressure-lowering medicines [...]
Greater efforts could be made to cut waiting times of over 12 months at five hospitals across the country, according to the Chief Executive of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). CEO Pat O’Byrne said the Fund was still experiencing difficulties with regard to Tallaght, Tullamore, Crumlin, Temple Street and Limerick Regional hospitals. “If a [...]
A new policy framework is due to be completed by the summer, as part of the Review of the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Disability Services in Ireland. The framework document will then be submitted to the review steering group for consideration in the context of its overall report, due by the end of this year. [...]
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