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Opinion: December 2008

GPSSA issues on pay

Dr Garrett McGovern | 17 December 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, General Practitioners Specialising in Substance Abuse (GPSSAs) met in Cherry Orchard Hospital on Tuesday, December 2. GPSSAs at the meeting expressed concern that a pay increase of 15 per cent, which they were assured would be implemented from... Read more

Minister is inconsistent

Dr Oliver Whyte | 16 December 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, Isn’t it strange that the Minister of Health wants to talk to ‘the doctors’ about drugs savings when a scheme (the Indicative Drugs Savings Scheme), which was set up to do this was, for some inexplicable reason, abandoned... Read more

Refunding vaccine

Dr John O'Keefe | 15 December 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, This morning I was asked by a patient, whose daughter was with her to have a Gardasil vaccination, why she could not claim a refund from her insurance with Hibernian Health, previously known as Vivas. She said that... Read more

Turkey plucker was infected with campylobacter bacterium

Ed Madden | 14 December 2008 | Guests

Ed Madden, BL, on a case in which a woman who worked at a turkey farm alleged that she had been infected by the campylobacter bacterium due to a breach of duty by her employer. Mr and Mrs Sanderson ran... Read more

Colonies, catastrophies and financial crashes

Prof Pierce Grace | 13 December 2008 | Guests

The current collapse in the financial world is causing great concern to the monied and political classes and is beginning to adversely affect the lives of ordinary people. Unfortunately, this is not the first time society has seen financial Armageddon.... Read more

Will anyone save our bacon before this year's Winterfest?

Dr Garrett FitzGerald | 13 December 2008 | Garrett FitzGerald

Dr Garrett FitzGerald writes that the powers that be have made a pig's ear of telling the nation about dioxins in Irish pork, ruining our turkey-and-ham dinner well in advance of Christmas. It’s bad news for pigs as well. They... Read more

Telemedicine project under way

12 December 2008 | Guests

A new telemedicine project being piloted in NHS Lothian, Scotland, has the potential to reduce the number of inpatient hospital admissions in the area. The NHS in Lothian, Scotland, has embarked on a new telemedicine pilot project involving a remote... Read more

The credit crunch can't ruin Christmas

Dr Mick Molloy | 12 December 2008 | Mick Molloy

Dr Mick Molloy hopes that despite all the bad-news headlines in the newspapers, children will still get to enjoy the magic of Santa Claus this year. Christmas is fast approaching and all the signs are telling us how many shopping... Read more

Doctors and their patients — Great Expectations or Catch 22?

Mike Power | 11 December 2008 | Guests

Mike Power examines the reasons why society holds doctors in such high esteem and why patients place their lives in the hands of physicians. “The treatment is really a co-operative of a trinity — the patient, the doctor and the... Read more

Nurses should not call patients 'love'

Nycomed | 11 December 2008 | Guests

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in the UK has just approved its ‘Guidance for the Nursing Care of Older People’ – and when it is published next year, nurses will be told they should not call patients ‘love’ or... Read more

Inside Back — almost in a good Xmas mood

10 December 2008 | The Inside Back

During the last weekend of November, I drove with S to the Beara Peninsula in west Cork. On the first day, I developed ‘man flu’ – which would, quite shortly, escalate to real flu followed by winter vomiting bug (or... Read more

Junior docs take the hit during cutbacks

10 December 2008 | Mark Hannon

Dr Mark Hannon writes that as the Government scrambles to make savings in the health service, NCHDs are expected to accept less money for vast amounts of overtime. The financial crisis has been going on for so long now that... Read more

Settlement a 'step forward' in recognition of Irish sign language

By Alan Deeley | 09 December 2008 | Guests

Irish sign language (ISL) cannot be underestimated in its capacity to empower deaf people in their own education and in the education of others – yet a High Court action settled at the end of November demonstrates that full State... Read more

Remembered and respected: Dr Jack Molony, 1924-2008

09 December 2008 | Guests

Jack Molony, retired Consultant Rheumatologist at St Vincent’s Hospital and St Joseph’s Rehabilitation Centre, died recently. He was 83. One of the first rheumatologists appointed in the State, he made an outstanding contribution to the development of the specialty in... Read more

A lot of activity — but no action on drugs

Terence Cosgrave | 09 December 2008 | Editorial

Terence Cosgrave writes that politicians engage in a lot of useless activity, but maybe this is a good thing in the long run as it keeps them busy and prevents them from doing any real harm. ‘Cannabis users rarely commit... Read more

Calls for ban on alcohol adverts

Dara Gantly | 09 December 2008 | Guests

Special correspondent Dara Gantly examines calls for the new Broadcasting Bill to ban alcohol advertising. A former President of the Irish Medical Organisation has described the new Broadcasting Bill as a ‘lost opportunity’ to ban alcohol advertising and tackle the... Read more

Irish affairs on the agenda

Dr John Ryan | 09 December 2008 | Letter from America

Dr John Ryan writes about the renewed American interest in Irish affairs since it was reported earlier this year that Ireland has entered a recession. It started a few months ago, when The New York Times reported that Ireland had... Read more

Irish general practice loses unique doctor

09 December 2008 | Guests

With the sudden death of Dr Rita Kirwan (nee Lannen), in August — on her annual holiday near Ballinskelligs, in her beloved south Kerry – Irish general practice lost a unique and legendary family doctor. She had been working full... Read more

When is a ‘delay and prejudice’ court application appropriate?

Elaine Healy | 08 December 2008 | Guests

Elaine Healy elaborates on the background to cases where a defendant healthcare institution or doctor decides to bring an action to court, on the grounds of delay and prejudice . A number of applications have come before the courts in... Read more

Australia: different was of life for medics

Dr Ernan Hession | 07 December 2008 | Guests

Australia’s chronic doctor shortage offers ideal opportunities for Irish doctors to enjoy short-term locum positions and working holidays Down Under. The free flow of GPs between our two countries, particularly over the last ten years, reflects how similar our two... Read more

Premium service?

Terence Cosgrave | 07 December 2008 | Editorial

Terence Cosgrave writes that the situation regarding health insurance needs to be clarified for now... and the future. Many of you will sadly be familiar with the common situation whereby a patient comes to you having experienced a health ‘crisis’... Read more

Issues arising from study need examination

Dr Neville Wilson | 06 December 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, JUSTIFICATION FOR THE USE OF STATINS IN PRIMARY PREVENTION – re: the JUPITER Study report — (IMT, Issue 21.11.08) – has not been established in the Jupiter study, despite the reported claims of benefit by the study spokespersons.... Read more

The use of aspirin in treating diabetes

Dr Ray O'Connor | 05 December 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, I wish to comment on the use of aspirin in Dr Velma Harkins’ excellent review article on type 2 diabetes. She is quite correct to say that current recommendations suggest that aspirin be used even in the absence... Read more

Cervical Screening scheme doesn't work well — GP

Dr Jutta O'Meara | 04 December 2008 | Letters

Dear Editor, At the inception of the National Cervical Screening Programme I had misgivings about contracting into a scheme which outsourced abroad. I therefore consulted with my local IMO GP liaison officer for advice as to what was IMO policy... Read more

I don't know. Let them eat chocolate

G. B. | 03 December 2008 | The Inside Back

It’s December again. It’s time to stop being such an a**hole. You’ve spent the last eleven months treating everyone you know like s**t, but now is the time to start being nice so that, come New Year’s Day, you can... Read more

Woman had ovary and small bowel removed

Ed Madden | 03 December 2008 | Guests

Ed Madden, BL, looks at a recent case in which a woman who brought proceedings sought information concerning the reasons for the removal of her left ovary and small bowel. On August 13, 1996, Paula Suzanne Tully was admitted by... Read more

U-turns lead down a road to nowhere

Dr Mick Molloy | 03 December 2008 | Mick Molloy

Getting back after a period away usually means catching up on family matters, clearing a mountain of post, razing through a few hundred emails or more (depending on the time period away) – oh, and reading a stack of Irish... Read more

Are we making life more difficult for patients

Dr Paul Heslin | 03 December 2008 | Guests

Dr Paul Heslin writes that in order to solve some of the problems in the health system, we have to start thinking like the patients who use the service. Are we in the health service making life difficult for our... Read more

You think you're interesting but you're an obnoxious fool

G.B. | 02 December 2008 | The Inside Back

I know people who feel that if they don’t walk, they can’t think. They walk to comprehend themselves. I have known a few old men who clasp their hands behind their backs, and lift their chins, in order to philosophise.... Read more