The HSE, the Forum of Irish Postgraduate Medical Training Bodies and the Medical Council have come together to host a free careers advice day for medical interns and students next week, which they hope can go some way towards arresting the brain drain amongst “Ireland’s youngest and brightest” doctors.

There were 2,017,000 people insured with inpatient health insurance plans at the end of June 2014 — a decrease in the number of insured people of 11,000 over the quarter and 41,000 over the year.

Lloyd Mudiwa reports on the briefing materials prepared for Dr Leo Varadkar by the Department of Health, revealing there is a lot more for the new Health Minister to do than just steady the ship.

Dear Editor, I note from the letters page of Irish Medical Times (August 29, 2014) that Dr Tony Feeney personally knows six doctors who will retire early.

The Minister for Health has announced the appointment of highly regarded and talented civil servant Jim Breslin as new Secretary General (SG) of the Department of Health.

Leading medical commentator Dr Ruairi Hanley will address the unprecedented gathering by GPs from across Ireland at the Dáil on September 24 in protest over the current crisis in general practice.

The members of the Directorate of the HSE will undergo a Directorate Development Programme to support them in delivering their “demanding leadership roles”, IMT has learned.

Fifty-eight per cent of NCHDs were compliant with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) requirement of an average 48-hour working week, in June, with 93 per cent compliant with the EWTD maximum 24-hour shift.

The challenges that arise from a population-based colorectal cancer screening programme will be the focus of the 21st International Meeting of the Centre for Colorectal Disease at St Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) on Friday, September 12.

Sandra Ryan examines the importance of choosing the right biologic for the right patient suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.