Tag Archives: GP

THE start of community-based Covid-19 vaccination for elderly people in Clare who are 85 and older has been described as “historic” by a doctors’ group. The Irish College of General Practitioners, the professional and training body for General Practitioners in Ireland, has welcomed the start of the next phase in the country’s Covid-19 vaccination programme, as GP-led clinics and GP practices begin the process of vaccinating their over 70’s patients around the county. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be administered by 70% of GPs and practice nurses in their own premises. Practices with less than 200 patients over 70 will either buddy with a nearby practice or invite their patients to vaccination centres. Patients will be contacted directly for appointments by their own GPs. Dr Nuala O’Connor, the ICGP’s Clinical Lead on Covid-19, said this is the start of the recovery from Covid-19 for many people, and is an historic moment. “GPs look forward to vaccinating this cohort of …

CLARE people who are waiting for a Covid-19 test are being urged to self-isolate until they have their test in the interest of curbing the spread of the virus. In a statement released to the Clare Champion, HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare has reiterated that Clare people who wish to attend the test centre in Ballymaley, Ennis must have a referral from their doctor or GP. People are also advised to only attend the test centre at their allocated time and to attend their designated centre. HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare has also confirmed there is a high volume of people requesting a Covid-19 test as the country experiences a third wave of the virus. Any person can get a free test for Coronavirus if they have symptoms of Covid-19 and their GP thinks they need to be tested, if they are told they are a close contact by the HSE’s close contact tracing team. Anyone who is categorised as a close …

An outbreak control team has been established after a number of Covid-19 cases were confirmed in patients and staff on a ward at Ennis Hospital on Thursday. An outbreak in a healthcare setting is called when there is a minimum of two positive contacts. In accordance with HPSC guidelines, an Outbreak Control Team has now been convened in Ennis Hospital and continues to work with Public Health and Occupational Health to manage the response. Testing and contact tracing of patients and staff is underway and the hospital are now, in line with the national guidance, putting into effect all the appropriate infection control measures to mitigate the risk to patients and staff. Covid-19  testing and contact tracing of both staff and patients is undertaken to ensure the protection of public health. Hospital preparedness plans are developed to support continuity of services and guide senior management to identify the level of impact on service and staff. The UL Hospitals’ Group has …

A MAN from the Mid-West who failed to restrict his movements on his return from a holidays abroad infected 56 other people with Covid-19, the Mid-West HSE has revealed. This man, who inadvertently passed on this contagious virus to ten private households and a sports team, had mild symptoms including a runny nose and a mild sore throat. After discovering his temperature was normal, he socialised with a group of friends and later tested positive for Covid-19. However, by this stage, he had already infected a number of his friends. Three of these friends went on to infect their families. Another friend who he infected felt unwell and contacted her GP to arrange a Covid-19 test. She had the test in the morning but by afternoon she felt a bit better and decided to go to a friend’s party. After the party, she got her test result and it was positive. By attending the party while waiting for her test …

The HSE has offered over 1,000 appointments at the drive through community test centre at the county GAA grounds of Cusack Park since it opened back in April. However, the HSE has declined to confirm how many if any people tested positive for Covid-19 saying “we do not provide information on individual test centres. The NPHET reports on the numbers tested positive daily”. The Cusack Park community test centre has the capacity to test 200 people per day but the HSE outlined that there hasn’t been the need to test at that level as the public have implemented the government’s Covid-19 guidelines and continue to hold firm. The HSE, however, acknowledged the role of all HSE staff “who continue to show commitment to community testing during this pandemic”. The Cusack Park community test centre opened April 23 last and the Covid -19 test is an appointment based service following a referral completed by a GP, out of hours GP services …

THE HIGHEST safety standards and infection control measures will be stringently applied in a new assessment unit for Clare’s Covid-19 patients, according to a local doctor. A new assessment service for local confirmed and suspected Covid-19 patients whose health is deteriorating started in Shannon Health Centre on Wednesday. There are 106 confirmed Covid-19 cases in Clare compared to 265 in Limerick and 219 in Tipperary on Wednesday. In total, 20 local general practitioners have volunteered to work in the new Community Assessment Hub following special induction training. Dr Páraic Meaney of the Burrren Medical Centre, Corofin, told the Clare Champion any patient who will be treated by the new service have nothing to fear as it is purposely designed to minimise patient contact with others. Dr Meaney confirmed all staff who will be wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE) have received training on how to put on and take off this equipment. “This service is for patients who have a …

Patients and medical professionals in Ennis and surrounds were united in mourning following the death of Dr Eugene Casey at his home on Tuesday night. Doctors, nurses and countless medical staff who would have worked with Dr Casey over five decades of general practice are deeply saddened by his passing. Dr Casey (67), Shanaway Road, one of the best-known and highly-respected doctors in the county, worked as a locum on a regular basis for Dr Michael Harty in Kilmihil since his election to the Dáil, Dr Eamon Ralph in Kildysart and Dr Maura O’Meara in Doonbeg. Having first opened his doors as a GP in the late 1970s, the father-of-three built a thriving practice until 2010, when it was taken over by Dr Colum Gavin. While Dr Casey officially retired a year later, he went back working as a locum in recent years. Dr Harty said he would miss Dr Casey a great deal, as he was a great medical …

BELEAGUERED rural Ireland is facing another serious crisis, which could see doctors and their GP services being withdrawn in many areas. The warning has been sounded by West Clare-based Dr Michael Kelleher, who is a member of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) Committee. “Rural Ireland has long been neglected by different governments and we’ve all seen the desperate consequences as garda stations closed, post offices were shut down, hospital services were downgraded and so many other critical services were withdrawn from rural communities,” he observed. “This [medical] crisis has being developing slowly over a number of years; cuts that this Government (and the last one) made to the budget for general practice has hit rural GPs harder than most. The population of rural GPs is getting older and as more retire or pass away, there are fewer and fewer young GPs interested in taking on the job when the resources just aren’t available to provide a proper service. Already there …