Sign up now for ease of access to The Medical Independent, Ireland’s most frequently published medical newspaper, delivering award-winning news and investigative reporting.
Established in 2010, along with its sister publication The Medical Independent, our stated aim is to investigate and analyse the major issues affecting healthcare and the medical profession in Ireland. The Medical Independent has won a number of awards for its investigative journalism, and its stories are frequently picked up by national digital, broadcast and print media. The Medical Independent is published by GreenCross Publishing.
Address: Top Floor, 111 Rathmines Road Lr, Dublin 6
Tel: 353 (01) 441 0024
GreenCross Publishing is owned by Graham Cooke.
There has been an almost 42 per cent increase in risk waste in the Irish public health service since the beginning of 2020, the Medical Independent (MI) can report.
At the end of 2019, some 7,848 tonnes of risk waste were recorded, with 9,465 tonnes in 2020 and 11,118 in 2021, according to figures provided by the HSE.
This represented a total increase of 3,270 tonnes over this period, or 41.67 per cent. The figures were recorded by Stericycle, the company that provides the national contract for the provision of hazardous healthcare risk waste services.
“The provision of vaccination and testing centres along with Covid-19 wards in hospitals and the resultant disposal of items, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), swabs, and sharps in line with infection control and disposal guidelines has given rise to this increase,” a spokesperson for the HSE told MI.
In February, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report that showed an increase in global medical waste during the pandemic.
The report’s recommendations included using eco-friendly packaging and shipping; safe and reusable PPE; recyclable or biodegradable materials; investment in non-burn waste treatment technologies, such as autoclaves; and reverse logistics to support centralised treatment. It also recommended investing in the recycling sector to “ensure materials, like plastics, can have a second life”.
The WHO stated that “most components” of rapid antigen tests were recyclable. However, the HSE said it “does not recommend recycling of antigen test kit waste at present”.
The Executive’s current position is to follow manufacturer’s instructions.
The HSE’s spokesperson noted that four regional sustainability managers were appointed in 2021 to support local hospitals in minimising clinical waste. The spokesperson also referenced the Green Healthcare Programme, which is engaged with 40 of the largest healthcare facilities in the country and provides staff training on managing different waste streams.
Dr Sean Owens, a member of the Irish Doctors for the Environment and the ICGP’s sustainability working group, told MI: “There’s no reason we couldn’t be using compostable masks or biodegradable gloves. We’re really overusing a lot of things.”
Dr Owens said he did not see the WHO recommendations becoming a reality in the near future. He stated there was a need for “political imagination” and “political will” to tackle the problem.
However, he added the HSE had “done well the last couple of years”, considering the continued pressure on the Executive.
New GPs should be prepared for the practicalities and business aspects of running a practice, according...
There was almost a three-fold increase in the number of new post applications made to the.
The ICGP is examining alternative pathways for entry into general practice training as part of efforts...
In December, the HSE released part of an external review into the case of 'Brandon', a...
The evidence on doctor burnout “should scare us and concern us”, the Director of the RCSI...
A review of public health governance structures and addressing “longstanding” IT infrastructure...
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.