Clinical update: COPD & Asthma – Mutations in the filaggrin gene among many Irish families predisposes them to develop eczema and this may progress later to asthma, revealed Prof Padraic Fallon, Science Foundation Ireland Stokes Professor of Translational Immunology at TCD’s Institute of Molecular Medicine.

Clinical update: COPD & Asthma – There has been a confluence of two advances in asthma, said Dr Conor Burke, Respiratory Consultant at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.

Dr Garrett FitzGerald examines why measures to banish the trolley from the Emergency Department in Limerick do not have a snowball’s chance in ‘clinical winter’ of succeeding {openx:269} Limerick in the news again.

It is ludicrous that the new HSE legal department is set to cost up to €800,000 — especially when the Executive is outsourcing its legal services needs, writes Kealan Flynn {openx:269} The Health Service Executive (HSE) is setting up its own law office despite outsourcing its legal services needs.

A big decision by the US Supreme Court has put the future of democracy in a bit of a pickle, and the fallout is likely to be felt around the world in just a few generations of elections.

Dear Editor, I would like to comment on the points raised by Dr Kevin O’Doherty in his letter in your recent publication (Irish Medical Times, 1 & 8 January 2010), and to take issue with many of them as his justification for the continuation of the GP/Primary Care Units in their present format, and also the role of the GP

Dear Editor, With reference to your two recent articles on resource allocation (Irish Medical Times, 1 & 8 January, 2010, pages 1 & 4), it is not surprising that your good paper had to resort to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to get access to documents from the HSE to the Department of Health.

A GP co-op has decided to challenge the Appeals Commissioners’ decision that it must deduct PAYE from doctors providing out-of-hours cover.

Dear Editor, Ireland has one of the fastest growing elderly populations in Europe.

A leading consultant in palliative medicine believes patients expected to live for six months or less should be entitled to a medical card.