Special report news

Gary Culliton examines the medical representative bodies’ reactions to the HSE’s National Service Plan for next year — a plan that makes no provision for ‘a margin of error’.

Additional actions in relation to clinical guidance, communications and transport have been put forward by the Minister for Health as the prime responses so far to the Ebola threat, reports Gary Culliton.

Pressure is mounting to include the rotavirus vaccine — as has been recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee of the RCPI — as part of Ireland’s childhood immunisation schedule.

Legal moves are set to reflect a new culture of ‘think, talk and tell’ in relation to end-of-life issues.

New HIQA guidelines on costing healthcare treatments and budget impact analysis clarify HIQA’s role in relation to drug rationing, writes Gary Culliton The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has said it does not have any function in relation to rationing drugs.

Aoife Connors hears the reactions of GPs — both positive and negative — to the Government’s commitment to opening up the GMS The Government’s four-year economic recovery plan published last week includes the commitment that “all restrictions on appropriately-trained GPs who wish to hold GMS contracts will be abolished”.

Is the prospect of a primary care-led health service in Ireland now more dream than reality, asks Aoife Connors So is a primary care-led health service a dream or reality? This was the question addressed recently by Dr Margaret O’Riordan, ICGP Programme Director of GP Training, at a recent conference and Irish Medical Times put the question to her again

To mark the RCPI’s recent stroke debate, the HSE’s Joint Clinical Leads described the approach the national stroke programme will take when launched in the New Year.

Despite slashing its projected year-end deficit by €90 million in just six months, the HSE West still needs to cut costs, writes Gary Culliton The HSE West region has indicated that it has reduced its projected year-end deficit from €130 million at the end of March to €40 million at the end of September.

Proximity to a major hospital appears to impact on the investment a GP is likely to make in medical equipment, according to a survey carried out by University College Cork, Aoife Connors reports General practices in the HSE West region are more likely to invest in medical equipment than similar practices located in the HSE Dublin Mid Leinster area, a