The winner of the 2014 annual Aindreas McEntee Short Story Competition was announced at a recent meeting of Irish Medical Writers Society.

Dear Editor, Medical consultants practising in independent hospitals either full time or part time are required to have appropriate level of indemnity cover as a requirement laid down by the Medical Council to protect patients.

A strategic contribution is now sought as part of clinicians’ involvement in management.

In the first of a two-part series on pressure, Consultant Surgeon Dr Mark Corrigan looks into the history books to show that pressure can be the greatest obstacle to achievement.

Dr Ruairi Hanley pays a special tribute this week to the Irish Dental Association for stopping the publication of medical professionals’ annual GMS earnings, and wonders if the new Minister for Health will be able to keep the smiles on our faces.

Dear Editor, There was a glimmer of hope recently for general practice in Ireland when Senator John Crown had that obnoxious gagging clause removed from a potential GP contract for the under-sixes.

GPs from across the country are to gather at the Dáil next month in protest over the current crisis in general practice.

The IMO is to begin extensive consultation with members on terms for extending free GP care to under-sixes.

The Medical Council has identified a committee of experienced assessors set to conduct the proposed accreditation visit of RCSI-Bahrain later this year, IMT understands.

NEDOC is to hold discuss-ions with the HSE over the coming weeks on appropriate funding to ensure the GP co-op is not forced to curtail its provision of out-of-hours services for next year, IMT has learned.