Posts by Niamh Cahill

GP practices with Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines in stock have been advised to “store appropriately but not administer to patients” following changes to the national Covid-19 vaccination programme. The IMO issued the advice as part of an email update to GPs on Wednesday night (14 April) after the national immunisation advisory committee (NIAC) recommended against the use…

GPs scheduled to administer the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to vulnerable patients in cohort 4A from today have yet to be informed when they will receive the vaccine. This is creating frustration among vulnerable patients who are “bombarding” GP practices seeking information on when they will be vaccinated, according to GPs. Under HSE plans, GPs were meant…

The Oireachtas joint committee on health today launched its ‘Report on addressing Vitamin D deficiency as a public health measure in Ireland’. The committee heard evidence that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent across the population.  The report recommends that public health measures are established to address this issue. These public health measures are preventative in…

A prominent campaigner for fast-tracking of citizenship applications for healthcare workers has warned that nothing has yet been achieved. Dr Mohsin Kamal, a paediatrics registrar who has campaigned on the issue, noted that the Department of Justice has referred in statements to communicating with 4,000 applicants by the end of March, most of whom have…

The Medical Council is “greatly concerned” in relation to some of the allegations raised in the RTÉ Investigates report broadcast last night on Prime Time, particularly the allegation that confidential patient information was shared by doctors with officials in the Department of Health without patient consent. Director of Professional Competence, Ethics and Research with the…

The extra interns in 2020 had a considerable impact on patient safety and healthcare efficiency, according to a paediatrics registrar who is a member of the Keep Our Doctors Campaign. On behalf of the group, Dr Cormac Duff welcomed this morning’s announcement of an extra 120 intern places – above 2019 levels – but emphasised…

An increase of 120 medical intern posts, plus a small number of additional postgraduate training places and permanent fellowship posts have been announced by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. However, a campaign group called ‘Intern Jobs for Internationals-Keep Our Doctors’ has stated the increase in intern places is insufficient. “So proud all of our campaign…

The Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital in Dublin has today launched a dedicated clinic for the treatment of endometriosis, which affects one in 10 women in Ireland. The endometriosis clinic is facilitated by a consultant-led multidisciplinary team involving nursing, physiotherapy, dietetics and pain management. Women with endometriosis experience a range of symptoms which often…

International doctors are calling for reform of HSE contracts or a legal amendment to employment permit conditions to ensure they can avail of their professional entitlement to a critical skills employment permit (CSEP). The CSEP is Ireland’s “premium employment permit” and is targeted at highly skilled people in eligible occupations deemed critically important to the…

Applications for HSE and Enterprise Ireland partnership, Health Innovation Hub Ireland (HIHI), and Trinity College Dublin one year Postgraduate Diploma in Healthcare Innovation are now open for September enrolment. The programme is the only innovation course in the country that is clinician designed and actively recruits from both the frontline and health industry. Now entering…