Tag Archives: HSE

FIVE local women, all members of the Travelling community, have enrolled as third level college students for the first time in their lives in a collaboration between Ennis CDP, Limerick Institute of Technology and the HSE. And while they admit there is a sense of trepidation, there is also plenty of excitement with all of the women looking forward to facing the challenge ahead. Margaret Gannon, Mary Frances Joyce, Bridget Mongans, Bridget McDonagh and Mary McDonagh met with one of their lecturers from LIT, Dr Frank Houghton, this week. Dr Houghton, the Director of the newly established Health & Social Research (HEALR) Group in Limerick Institute of Technology, delivered a four hour session on “Primary Health Care and its impact” in Ennis to the new students who proudly hold their LIT student cards. The students will also be going on campus to attend a number of lectures and to join in with the wider student population of which they are …

  EARLY Intervention Teams (EIT) for children with disabilities in Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary have double the nation case load, it has been revealed. HSE West Forum member, Councillor Brian Meaney is not only unhappy with this situation but also that EITs in the Mid-West have four times the number of children per team compared to other counties in the West. Councillor Meaney was reacting to HSE figures released in response to a Dáil question from Deputy Colm Keaveney. The figures show that nationally there are 58 early intervention teams providing disability services for 6,399 children and young people. That is an average of 110 children and young people per team. There are 12 EITs providing disability services for 2,764 children in the Mid-West, which is an average of 230 children – double the national average case load per team. Five EITs provide services to 430 children in Galway, which equates to 86 children per team. HSE Mid-West area …

By Dan Danaher RESIDENTS in an Ennis housing estate have been requested to take measures to minimise the impact of a “rodent infestation” following indiscriminate dumping near a river at the rear of the development. According to a Health Service Executive (HSE) letter obtained by The Clare Champion, the authority is aware of “infestation of rodents” in the Aughanteeroe estate. The letter requested the householder to take 11 separate actions to minimise the impact of the rodent infestation. “Rats are constantly present and they tend to come closer to houses at this time of the year looking for food and warmth. They can spread diseases, which can be harmful to humans. “Rats can live in turf and timber blocks and these tend to retain the heat. Poison should be placed carefully in storage areas used for fuel. If using poison, please ensure that you follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. “Poison should be tamper resistant and inaccessible to children and pets. …

SUPPORT is important when people try to quit smoking and a new Quit Tobacco group run by the HSE is about to begin in Shannon. Smoking cessation specialist Mary McMahon said that giving up nicotine is hard enough to do with support, but the odds are awful without some backing. She also says that even if people fail to kick the habit, having tried makes it easier to do in the future. “Without any help its so hard that only one to three per cent of smokers who quit will still have quit at the end of a year. But the more support you get the easier it is to quit. In the UK they would aim to get at least a 15% quit rate at the end of a year. What happens is that 38-40% would quit with help and support for four weeks, but the more often they practice it and the longer the quit attempt, they bring …

 CONFIRMATION from the HSE  that Section 39 organisations will be bound to disclose the salaries of their senior management staff from now on, has been welcomed by Clare senator Tony Mulcahy. “Over €812m  was provided to Section 39 organisations in 2012 and nearly 25% of the health budget is allocated to Section 38 and 39 organisations. There is increased scrutiny on how this money is spent. It is important that there is full transparency over how taxpayers’ money is being spent,” the Fine Gael senator said. “I am happy to learn that in accordance with the terms of the Service Level Agreement (SLA), which must be signed by all section 39 agencies receiving State funding, the salaries of all senior management must be disclosed,” he added.  

THE shock departure of three registrars from Ennis Hospital has been described as a “crushing blow” for local acute services. Two experienced senior registrars, who treated patients in both Ennis and St Joseph’s Geriatric hospitals for over six years, have tendered their resignations. It is expected that Dr Kamal and Dr Haroon will finish up by the end of the year, while Dr Umbreen has decided not to renew her contract, which was up at the start of December. The Clare Champion has learned that the introduction of a new rota system, which involves registrars carrying out the task of senior house officers (SHO) after 5pm, which would be a demotion following years of training, was a major factor that influenced their decisions to leave. The Mid-West HSE has played down their departures stating “there is nothing unusual in doctors moving from one hospital to another”. “The employer is obliged to obey the law and, in this case, the European …

STAFF and residents at St Joseph’s Geriatric Hospital, Ennis may be transferred to a €40 million state-of-the-art elderly care hospital, if a new development proposal is delivered by the Government within the next two years. The Clare Champion understands that one of the options being seriously assessed by the Health Service Executive is the construction of a multi-million euro community hospital on a greenfield site in the Ennis area, to ensure full compliance with HIQA’s premises and physical environment regulations. It is understood the HSE has been given over two years to implement a plan that would necessitate a complete refurbishment of St Joseph’s, with its associated logistical problems, revamping an old building or building a purpose-built facility on a new site. The HSE Mid-West was given an opportunity to comment on the information furnished to The Clare Champion but there was no response at the time of going to press. While nursing home providers have been requested to comply …