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Opinion: September 2008

Driving a bargain in those pre-recession Tiger days

Dr Garrett FitzGerald | 30 September 2008 | Garrett FitzGerald

Dr Garrett FitzGerald feels a wave of nostalgia for the good old days. He feels particularly keenly for the plight of that well-known economic barometer, the used-car salesman. It’s hard to believe that the good old days are ending. Some... Read more

Admitting patients helps morbidity and mortality

30 September 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy writes that a system for admitting patients and spreading them across the hospital is a possible solution to ED overcrowding. Much has been written about overcrowding in Irish hospitals. There have been disputes about the figures, the... Read more

It’s just the system, stupid!

Paul Heslin | 30 September 2008 | Guests

Dr Paul Heslin writes that this country's senseless, inefficient systems must change if we are ever to have a health service of which we can be proud. Mary Harney was right, you know. Now, that is a controversial statement these... Read more

Minister Harney — a force for good or ill?

Terence Cosgrage | 30 September 2008 | Editorial

Terence Cosgrave says that there have been many spurious and self-serving arguments in the health arena, which only distract from achieving the real and measurable improvements that could be made. Very few things are completely right or wrong. Life has... Read more

A proud inheritance for Irish geneticists

Terence Cosgrave | 30 September 2008 | Guests

Terence Cosgrave spoke to Prof David McConnell on the history of genetics at Trinity College last week. The Department of Genetics is celebrating a half-century of existence and going from strength to strength. You can sum up the last fifty... Read more

'Terroirists' are in the genes

Thecla Scully | 29 September 2008 | Guests

The scenes might have been scripted in Hollywood. It’s rural France, it’s July, it’s 2007. In the dead of the night, a shadowy group of dissident wine producers take a TV journalist to a remote location to witness a video... Read more

Mental Capacity Bill 2008

Elaine Healy | 29 September 2008 | Guests

Currently, where a person is considered incapable of managing his affairs, an application to court can be made to make that person a ward of court. On 15 September 2008, the Government approved proposals for a Mental Capacity Bill (Bill).... Read more

Boom and bust cycles

Dr Mark Hannon | 28 September 2008 | Mark Hannon

A pall of gloom hangs over the hospital at the moment. Despair stalks the staff canteen. Talk of share prices dominates the back-door conversation of the hospital’s dwindling smoking clientele. People who previously didn’t know the difference between an investment... Read more

Landmarks in Irish general practice

Dr Cliona Ryan | 27 September 2008 | Letters

Dear Sir, Congratulations to Dr John Ball, Dr Shane McKeogh and the ICGP on the first National Conference for Establishing General Practitioners and on the publication of Signposts to Success — a Handbook for the Establishing General Practitioner. Both, I... Read more

Safety culture must be implemented

Gary Culliton | 26 September 2008 | Guests

Gary Culliton reports on the findings of the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality, which advocates openness and learning from mistakes as key objectives for the future. A strong, positive culture of patient safety in Ireland, which would ensure effective... Read more

Pharmacists’ court victory may yet come at a cost

Ed Madden | 25 September 2008 | Guests

Ed Madden, BL, looks at the recent High Court judgment in the case brought by a number of pharmacists against the Health Service Executive. Patrick Hickey is a pharmacist and the majority shareholder of Drishlawn Ltd, a holding company which... Read more

ADHD diagnosis takes years

Greg Baxter | 25 September 2008 | Guests

On average, there is a four-year lag between the time when parents suspect their child may have a problem and the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), a new survey has revealed. A Survey of ADHD in Irish Children,... Read more

Patient care affected by fast pace in hospitals

24 September 2008 | Guests

No matter how quickly a patient is diagnosed or how suited the prescription is to treating their ailment, it may all go to waste if the patient cannot remember what the doctor has told them. All too often, patients cannot... Read more

Drumm and Harney must be accountable for actions

Dr Illona Duffy | 24 September 2008 | Ilona Duffy

Dr Illona Duffy writes that Minister Harney and Prof Drumm must now take public responsibility for their decisions and should entr into real debate with the ntional media. Because of my husband’s fondness for the Daily Telegraph newspaper, I now... Read more

Unit looks to the future of stem-cell work

Terence Cosgrave | 24 September 2008 | Guests

Terence Cosgrave speaks to Prof Shaun McCann about the work carried out at the National Stem Cell Transplant Centre. In 1995, the Minister for Health, Michael Noonan, asked Liam Dunbar, Chief Executive of St James’s Hospital, and Consultant Haematologist, Prof... Read more

NEDOC GPs concerned about patient safety

Ian McGuinness | 23 September 2008 | Guests

Ian McGuinness reports that members of the North East Doctor on Call GP co-operative are worried about shortcomings in services that may occur under the HSE's Transformation Programme. The HSE has been put on notice that North East Doctor on... Read more

Travels in Funnymoney land

Dr Garrett FitzGerald | 23 September 2008 | Garrett FitzGerald

It’s all clear now. But it’s too late, of course. There was something strange about your ordinary citizen having himself televised as he trudged triumphantly along the shores of the Black Sea, looking out for the best value in holiday... Read more

Thornton Hall move should be based on medical rationale

Dr Mick Molloy | 23 September 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy writes that the Central Mental Hospital's move to a new location should be based on providing the best possible service — not to make the management of the prison easier. The debate about The Central Mental Hospital... Read more

Waiting list success for NTPF

Gary Culliton | 20 September 2008 | Guests

Gary Culliton on the NTPF's announcement that a number of common procedures on the waiting list can now be done within two to five months. National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) Chief Executive Pat O’Byrne can now point to a number... Read more

Official:Doomsday is eighth day of the week

19 September 2008 | The Inside Back

Last week, the Large Hadron Collider underneath the Swiss-French border went live, and, despite widely reported concerns that this gigantic microscope was actually a Doomsday machine, things have continued as normal. The most powerful machine ever built for investigating the... Read more

Sister Sarah steals the show

Dr John Tyan | 18 September 2008 | Letter from America

By far the most frustrating aspect of living in America over the past year has been the omni-presence of the upcoming presidential election. This nation’s tolerance and interest was exhausted last week when Senator John McCain announced Governor Sarah Palin... Read more

A two-way medical conversation

Dr Paul Heslin | 18 September 2008 | Guests

Dr Paul Heslin on dealing with the difficulties involved in treating patients who don't have the language skills to communicate about their illness. DOC: I have a lot of new Irish and foreign nationals in my practice. T: And how... Read more

The '4Ps' are now '4Es'

JP Donnelly | 17 September 2008 | Guests

JP Donnelly is Chief Executive of the Ogilvy Group in Ireland. Ogilvy are sponsors of the ‘Student Project of the Year’ in this year’s Irish Healthcare Awards. How does a healthcare professional develop a sustainable and profitable income stream in... Read more

The human face of mistakes

Dan Danaher | 17 September 2008 | Guests

Irish Medical Times reported on the Ann Moriarty story on our website last week. But behind the medical detail and the litany of mistakes is a person who lost his life partner. Dan Danaher spoke to Karl Henry in his... Read more

The great prostate cover-up

Rory Hafford | 17 September 2008 | Guests

A number of years ago I made a TV documentary for RTE on beloved poet and writer John B Keane. Keane had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and he wanted to speak to the nation’s men-folk on how best to... Read more

Today's low-fares airline charges are anything but fair

Dr Mick Moloy | 17 September 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy writes that the hidden costs of air travel in recent times are out to catch the passenger at every opportunity — resulting in 'low fares' that are, in fact, sky high. You have seen the advertising blurb... Read more

Dealing with the effects of and the services for Alzheimer's disease

Mrs N. R. Downey | 16 September 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, Thank you for the supplement on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia (Irish Medical Times, 29/8/’08). My mother has dementia for almost ten years now. We have accessed most of the services mentioned in the articles, with the GP and... Read more

Ann Moriarty's case

16 September 2008 | Editorial

There has been a lot written (understandably) about the Ann Moriarty case and the implications for Ennis Hospital and St James’s Hospital in Dublin. In this issue of Irish Medical Times, we publish an interview with her husband, Karl Henry,... Read more

The squeakiest wheel

16 September 2008 | Guests

Terence Cosgrave wonders which patients or services should get priority treatment and whether there is a way to decide. On page 14 of this issue of Irish Medical Times, Rory Hafford makes the case for a comprehensive prostate screening programme... Read more

Government abandoning referendum promise?

Alan Shatter TD | 16 September 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, Minister Barry Andrews is wrong when he claims that a referendum is not necessary to achieve the highest level of protection for our children. The Minister is publicly misrepresenting the legal position, as well as the advice given... Read more

'Whistleblower' is a hero with courage and spirit

15 September 2008 | Guests

Paul Heslin writes on the recent RTE drama about the Neary case in Drogheda and asks if we'll ever develop a 'whistleblower' culture. Hitler, Haughey, Bin Laden, Shakespeare, Mandela, Washington, Ryan Air and Neary. It is in our nature as... Read more

A prescription for healthier patients through education

Ciara Cauldwell | 14 September 2008 | Guests

Are people today taking more control of their health? Ciara Cauldwell of WHPR looks at the role communications can play in informing, educating and influencing patients to take a greater responsibility for their own well-being. The public’s appetite for health... Read more

Protect yourself by charging for services

14 September 2008 | Ilona Duffy

Illona Duffy writes that it makes sense for GPs to look at the services they provide and restructure them as premium services — with a charge. We in General Practice know what the problems are, and we are slowly realising... Read more

If at first you don't succeed...

Garrett FitzGerald | 13 September 2008 | Garrett FitzGerald

Garrett Fitzgerald reports from Waterford that the county is somewhat excited by their appearance in the All-Ireland hurling final — which happens every half-century. They’re stone mad down here in the Deise. There are enough white-and-blue flags to stretch to... Read more

Criminals detected by hair-raising exam

Dr Thecla Scully | 12 September 2008 | Guests

Dr Thecla Scully writes about a new process in forensic detection that allows scientists to link people with a region through their hair. At first glance it seems an almost ludicrous proposition: using hair analysis to catch criminals, investigate murders... Read more

Managing wards of the court

Elaine Healy | 12 September 2008 | Guests

Elaine Healy of Beauchamps Solicitors examines the circumstances by which a person can be made a ward of the court for their own protection. Where a person is considered incapable of managing his or her affairs an application to court... Read more

How to reform the points system for medicine

Dr Mark Hannon | 12 September 2008 | Mark Hannon

Dr Mark Hannon writes that all points systems may be unfair, but the 'back-door' currently in use discriminates against less well-off students. The summer has passed with alarming swiftness and with it the annual debate on the merits of the... Read more

Hospital food plays a role in recovery

11 September 2008 | Guests

Hospital meals — and food brought into hospitals by relatives and friends — can be an important part of a patient's recovery process. When we think of hospital care, we tend to automatically think of the tests carried out on... Read more

Setting the standard in care

Gary Culliton | 11 September 2008 | Guests

Gary Culliton spoke to the Director of HIQA's Social Services Inspectorate, Dr Marion Witton about standards in Ireland's nursing homes. The government’s commitment to standards and improved care provision implies a recognition that older people deserve somewhere decent to spend... Read more

Judge commends action of hospital staff in detention

Ed Madden | 11 September 2008 | Guests

FW had been a patient at the Department of Psychiatry out-patient service in James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Dublin since November 2007. The 45-year-old married woman had a history of mental disorder and had been assessed as suffering from paranoid... Read more

Living in America...or not

Dr John Ryan | 11 September 2008 | Letter from America

Dr John Ryan writes on the phenomenon of people residing in one country but living as if they were somewhere else. At least in his other world, Kerry lose the odd game. A few years ago, I was out with... Read more

Who is the employer of research registrars?

Mick Molloy | 10 September 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy wonders if after all these years there is a policy to delay decisions on NCHD issues since so many issues are still unresolved. Eight years on from the 2000 revision of the NCHD contract many of the... Read more

Pricing deal brings pharmacy deal closer

Kealan Flynn | 10 September 2008 | Kealan Flynn

Kealan Flynn takes a look at the report of the Pricing Body on the new fee structure for community pharmacies and writes that all sides should be fairly satisfied with the result. The report of the Pricing Body on a... Read more

Do you know how fast the universe is expanding?

10 September 2008 | The Inside Back

I read recently that the most recent estimation of the Hubble constant – that is, the rate of expansion of the universe – is 74 kilometres per second per megaparsec (that last ‘per’ indicates accleration, of course). Don’t know what... Read more

How to heal with the human voice

09 September 2008 | Guests

Rory Hafford takes a look at the forgotten tool that is the physician’s voice and how it can have a significant impact on medical care Perception is everything. The way people view you is the way they tend to think... Read more

Brand new venture for PPAG

Terence Cosgrave | 09 September 2008 | Guests

Terence Cosgrave speaks to Paul Crowther, Group Finance Director of PPAG, about the company's recent expansion into the UK and why it is proud to sponsor an Irish Healthcare Award. Anyone who has ever attended a medical conference knows that... Read more

Tomorrow's research needs legislation now

Gary Culliton | 08 September 2008 | Guests

Gary Culliton writes about the possibilities that are inherent in disease-specific stem cell research and the need for legislation to govern such research. It is important to point out that cell replacement therapies will probably be the last and most... Read more

'Expensive reviews'

Terence Cosgrave | 08 September 2008 | Editorial

Terence Cosgrave looks at the soon-to-be published 'lookback' review on cancer diagnoses in the north-east. This week Irish Medical Times reveals exclusively that the delays in the diagnosis of a number of patients’ lung cancers in the north-east ‘were of... Read more

Dr Garrett Hayes on St James's catchment area

Dr Garrett Hayes | 08 September 2008 | Letters

Re: Referrals to St James’s Hospital Dear Ms Hardiman, I am in receipt of your (undated and unsigned) letter regarding access to dermatology services at the hospital. I totally reject your letter and its contents. I have been in practice... Read more

The Solution: A letter to the Irish Medical Times

Dr Garrett Hayes | 08 September 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, I am writing to you to express my concern at the unilateral decision by the Executive and Dermatology Consultants and teams to refuse access to public patients at the dermatology clinics outside their defined catchment areas. This came... Read more

Catchment areas do exist for dermatology services

Eilis Hardiman | 08 September 2008 | Letters

Re: Access to the Dermatology Service Dear Doctor, We acknowledge receipt of your recent referral to the dermatology service at St James’s Hospital.... Read more

Secrets of happy families kept behind closed doors

Dr Joyce Galbraith | 08 September 2008 | Guests

Dr Joyce Galbraith writes that the increase in domestic violence and filicide is a sad indictment of today's society. Following American patterns seems more and more inevitable these days, disturbingly so in the matter of violence — especially domestic violence.... Read more

Nurse attended Glastonbury with vulnerable patient

Ed Madden | 08 September 2008 | Guests

Ed Madden, BL, looks at a recent English High Court case in which a community psychiatric nurse appealed the decision to remove his name from the Nursing Register. Eric Brian Phillips, a registered nurse of some 15 years standing, was... Read more

Molloy and Minister Phelps take a break in Portugal

Dr Mick Molloy | 08 September 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy enjoyed a recent break with his family in Portugal — and also got to meet one of the world's great athletes... and the Minister for the Economy of Portugal! Summer is close to an end although it... Read more

Jesse James and the 'Hole in the Wall' gang

Garrett FitzGerald | 08 September 2008 | Garrett FitzGerald

Dr Garrett FitzGerald watched the Democratic convention taking place in the mile-high city of Denver, but he keeps his feet on the ground about the 'HillBilly' show and prospects for 2012. Barack Obama is going to provide free healthcare for... Read more

Screening service finally begins for women in Ireland

Ian McGuinness | 06 September 2008 | Guests

Ian McGuinness speaks to Tony O'Brien, CEO of the National Cancer Screening Service, about the long-awaited roll out of the cervical screening programme More than 1,000 contracts have been signed by GPs to provide services under the cervical screening programme... Read more

Intimations of World War III

03 September 2008 | The Inside Back

If this were twenty-five years ago, you can bet that all the supermarkets in the world would be empty of tinned food, bottled water and batteries, and instead of being glued to the television watching swimming in the Olympics, we’d... Read more