Monthly Archives: July, 2015

HMI Annual Conference

The HMI Leaders Award 2015 was won by Dr. Alison Dougall, Clinical and Academic Consultant Special Care Dentistry at the Dublin Dental Hospital, for a project promoting better access to dental care and a culture of oral health promotion within the haemophilia care pathway, Maureen Browne reports.

Scrolls were presented to three finalists whose projects received a special commendation from the Judges.

Pancreatic transplants to move to St. Vincent’s Awards For New Day Hospital Mallow Memory Research Unit New cancer strategy Teens births decrease HIQA Unannounced Inspections New Forensic Hospital Dormant Accounts Funding CEO for Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services €45 million reform fund Air ambulance to be permanent Elder Abuse Referrals Increase Suicide Prevention Strategy Minister launches North Cork Infant Mental Health Network Model New maternity hospitals sites New EU logo for medicine websites Twenty six terminations carried out in 2014 European Court rules on NCHDs No Change In Fair Deal Funding New Ambulance Headquarters Arts For Health Navan Road Primary Care Centre Targeted intervention in mental health services New Medical Council CEO

While every change is different, there are some key principles to keep in mind to guide your communications planning during times of turbulence, writes Ms Claire Taffee.

Having clarified our role and priorities, we have moved into the implementation phase of a major organisational change programme that will see improvement in how we organise and operate, develop and support staff, and engage with stakeholders, writes Mr. Jim Breslin, Secretary General, Department of Health.

The initial signs that the future hospital trusts will be independent were not encouraging and evidence suggested that what was proposed would destroy that very autonomy and governance and the quality of patient care that was associated with the voluntary sector, Dr. Ruth Barrington told the Voluntary Healthcare Forum in the Royal College of Physicians. Maureen Browne reports.

An innovative new project, The One Life Project, which aims to increase the survival rates of patients who suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Ireland has been launched by the National Ambulance Service (NAS). Maureen Browne reports.

Hospital Groups should be truly autonomous but were unlikely to be underpinned by legislation for some years, it emerged from Health Minister, Dr. Leo Varadkar’s speech to the MacGill Summer School in Donegal. Maureen Browne reports.

The goal of medicine is to alleviate suffering and enhance longevity. A brutal paradox arises when medicine does the opposite. Although there is limited evidence on the scale of harm inflicted by medical error, available data suggest this is a vast problem, write Drs. Padhraig Ryan and David Vaughan.

Dr. Peter Lachman is working to build a cadre of Irish healthcare leaders – both clinicians and managers - who will know what to do in order to improve healthcare processes, experience and outcomes.

Our health services may, in time, benefit from the negative experience of Irish Water, which has become one of the most politically and socially divisive issues of recent years, writes Mr Denis Doherty.

Dr. Chris Luke says he profoundly wishes that all healthcare managers, and indeed politicians, would recognise the vital importance of including people’s feelings in management calculation and decision-making, as well as beds, budgets or other “resource” considerations.

Ms. Anne McNeely Head of Organisational Development, writes about Beaumont Hospital’s Launch of its Internal Coaching Programme.

The Wellness Initiative Alliance has launched a new App which is ideal for students who would like to run the Alliance’s Aviva Schools Fitness Challenge and which is also a useful aid for PE teachers, writes Mr Ciaran Faughnan, the Alliance CEO.

Instructables is part of a wave of modern learning platforms where individuals self-publish and others self-teach, writes Mr Conor Hannaway.

The aim of the new three year National Dementia Strategy with a budget of €27.5 million was to improve dementia care so that people with dementia could live well for as long as possible, could ultimately die with dignity, and could have services and supports delivered in the best way possible, Ms. Sarah Mahon, Senior Dementia Strategy Projects Manager, HSE, told the HMI West of Ireland Forum. Maureen Browne reports.

We are now in an economic recovery and it’s time to see that recovery in the provision of mental health services so that we can truly transform care for patients, writes Ms. Patricia Gilheaney, Chief Executive, The Mental Health Commission.

HIQA has published new guidance to help hospitals and healthcare providers improve quality and safety by linking recommendations — from previous HIQA investigations and reviews into healthcare services — with National Standards that they are expected to meet.

Most people who kill themselves are of working age and the workplace has the potential to effectively address suicide prevention and intervention, as well as the crisis that often follows a suicide death or attempt, writes Dr. Eoin Galavan