Tag Archives: medical news

Letter from HSE requesting a stop on Locum Doctor Recruitment

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A&E Locum recruitment stopped

A&E Locum recruitment stopped

Hospitals across the country have received a letter from the HSE stipulating that they must stop recruiting locums to fill vacancies in emergency medicine, according to the Irish Medical News (IMN)

However, a senior consultant in emergency medicine has questioned the HSE’s contention that the recent recruitment drive in India and Pakistan has “solved” the need for locum cover in emergency departments (EDs). It is understood that the memo, sent by Ms Laverne McGuinness, the HSE’s National Director of Performance and Financial Management, on October 25, has caused particular issues at University Hospital Limerick where there has been an ongoing shortage of middle grade doctors to staff its ED. Dr Fergal Hickey, former president of the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine (IAEM) and a consultant in emergency medicine at Sligo General Hospital, told IMN that due to the recruitment drive for doctors from India and Pakistan, the HSE believes “there is now no need for locum cover”.

According to Dr Hickey, vacancies in EDs are mainly at registrar grade, however, he said that the HSE “seems to believe that very junior, very inexperienced doctors from India and Pakistan recruitment schemes” are adequate to fill these vacancies or that doctors can be arbitrarily transferred from other services. The HSE responded saying that “significant savings” can be made by filling posts that are currently filled by locums with doctors recruited through the drive in India and Pakistan. However, Dr Hickey contended that there is “a clear lack of understanding at senior management level in the HSE about where the vacancies in emergency medicine are and the calibre of doctors required to fill these vacancies”. “Our main vacancies are at middle grade whereas the available doctors from this particular recruitment drive are at a more junior level, so the problem will continue,” he said. Dr Hickey said that HSE management “think that they have solved the recruitment crisis, which clearly they haven’t”.

Dr Hickey said that neither the HSE nor the Department of Health understands the mismatch between existing vacancies and the doctors who have been recruited from India and Pakistan, who do not have “the experience or expertise” necessary. The HSE told IMN that doctors recruited in India and Pakistan are highly qualified and experienced and “are particularly well suited to working in the Irish health system” as they train in the same system used in Ireland. According to Dr Hickey, this is a “naive” perception. “A middle grade doctor working in the ED might have three or four years experience in the Irish healthcare system, and a year or more in an ED,” he explained. “And they’re seeking naively to replace those with people who have just literally arrived in the country.”

Late nights are a ticking time bomb for Health

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Late nights bad for our healthAccording to Irishhealth.com,  people who are often deprived of sleep or have disrupted sleep patterns may be at an increased risk of suffering serious health problems, including heart attacks and stroke, new evidence suggests.

Today’s economy has significant stress, loss of jobs, financial difficulty and this will have an effect on our sleep.

In a new job or in current times, people want to prove themselves and this can lead to working long hours.

Stress and worry for our job searchers can also reduce sleep drastically and leave our job seekers feeling exhausted which can be reflected at interview.

UK researchers looked at studies involving 470,000 people in eight countries, including the UK, Sweden and the US. They found that poor sleep can have serious, long-term health implications.

“If you sleep less than six hours per night and have disturbed sleep, you stand a 48% greater chance of developing or dying from heart disease and a 15% greater chance of developing or dying of a stroke,” explained lead researcher, Prof Francesco Cappuccio, of the University of Warwick.

He said that the current trend for late nights and early mornings ‘is actually a ticking time bomb for our health’ and advised people to ‘act now to reduce the risk of developing these life-threatening conditions’.

“There is an expectation in today’s society to fit more into our lives. The whole work/life balance struggle is causing too many of us to trade in precious sleeping time to ensure we complete all the jobs we believe are expected of us.

“But in doing so, we are significantly increasing the risk of suffering a stroke or developing cardiovascular disease resulting in, for example, heart attacks.”

The study pointed out that chronic short sleep produces hormones and chemicals in the body, which increase the risk of developing heart disease and strokes, as well as other conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes.

However, Prof Cappuccio did warn of the implications of going too far the other way, as sleeping overly long – more than nine hours at a stretch – may also be an indicator of illness, including cardiovascular disease.

“By ensuring you have about seven hours sleep a night, you are protecting your future health and reducing the risk of developing chronic illnesses. The link is clear from our research – get the sleep you need to stay healthy and live longer,” he said.

Details of these findings are published in the European Heart Journal

Scarlet Fever is lurking………..

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Strawberry tongue - symptom of Scarlet FeverWith the schools now back a few weeks and changes in weather, the usual bugs are circling our children – one of note – Scarlet Fever – has been mentioned surprisingly often.

What is Scarlet Fever?

Scarlet fever is a condition in which a distinct rash develops. It is caused by group A streptococcus bacteria.

The bacteria make a toxin, which when released, causes the ‘scarlet’ rash to develop, along with other common symptoms, such as a high fever and sore throat.

While the illness can affect people of all ages, it most commonly affects young children. Cases of scarlet fever in people over the age of 18 are rare.

Scarlet fever is contagious.

What are the symptoms?

People usually get sick two to five days after being exposed to the illness. Symptoms include:

-A high fever. This usually peaks at 103 or 104 degrees Fahrenheit on the second day.

-A sore throat.

-Headache.

-Nausea or vomiting.

-Body aches and pain.

-A general feeling of unwell.

-Loss of appetite.

-Swollen neck glands.

-A ‘strawberry’ tongue – this is when the tongue develops a thick, white coating that peels off after four or five days, producing a strawberry-like appearance.

However the scarlet fever rash is the most distinctive symptom. It usually appears 12 – 48 hours after the person becomes ill. The rash generally starts below the ears, neck, chest, armpits and groin, before spreading to the rest of the body after 24 hours. The face is spared, although it does appear flushed, except around the area of the mouth.

The rash is usually scarlet in colour and can feel quite rough – like sandpaper. It eventually fades and begins to peel, like sunburned skin. Peeling usually begins after six days and can last up to six weeks.

How is scarlet fever contracted?

Scarlet fever is contagious. A person can contract it by breathing in the airborne droplets from an infected person’s coughing or sneezing.

It can also be contracted by sharing contaminated clothes, towels or bed linen, or by touching the skin of someone infected.

It should be noted that in order to get scarlet fever, you must be susceptible to the toxin produced by the group A streptococcus bacteria. It can happen that two children in the same family may both have streptococcal infections, such as strep throat, but only one – the one susceptible to the toxin – will develop scarlet fever.

How is scarlet fever diagnosed and treated?

A GP may suspect scarlet fever based on a physical examination and symptoms history. This diagnosis can be confirmed by taking a throat swab sample – a painless procedure – and testing it for bacterial growth.

Once scarlet fever is confirmed, a course of antibiotics will usually be prescribed. These are generally taken for up to 10 days. It is essential that the patient finishes the prescribed course of antibiotics.

Additional treatments and advice can include:

-Paracetamol for fever, headache or throat pain.

-Oral antihistamines or calamine lotion to relieve the itch of the rash.

-Eating soft foods and drinking cool liquids, as the throat may be very sore.

-Keep fingernails on young children short, as they may scratch and damage the skin.

With treatment, most patients recover after four to five days, although it may take up to six weeks for skin symptoms to clear fully.

If left untreated or if treatment is unsuccessful, complications can occur, including rheumatic fever, pneumonia and septicaemia. However this is rare.

 

Dublin Dental Hospital getting tough!

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Dublin Dental Hospital

Dublin Dental Hospital

The Dublin Dental Hospital are clamping down on patients who do not turn up for their appointments.

Thousands of patients failed to attend last year without notifying the Hospital.

Over 23,000 failed to attend in the last 3 years.

This leaves a Dental Nurse and Dental Student with nothing to do and instruments which have been cleaned and prepared need to be re-sterilized.

 

From September 1st 2010, they are introducing a charge of €30 per appointment if a patient fails to show without prior notification.

So, be careful, if you have an appointment with the Dublin Dental Hospital – keep it – if you can’t – let them know or expect a €30 invoice

St Lukes Next?

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The next Victim of the Health Bill 2010 ?

The next Victim of the Health Bill 2010 ?

Is St Lukes next on the chopping board for Mary Harney? It seems this is where she has her eye.

It has been reported that the cancer facility will be kept on as a terminally ill care centre as opposed to being “sold off”. Operations will be split between St James’ and Beamont Hospitals, with a portion of staff transferring to St James’ and Beaumont at the latter end of this year. The remainder of staff will be transferred by 2014.

Health Minister Mary Harney was bringing the Health Bill 2010 to the Oireachtas Committe on Health and Children, which allows for the detachment of the hospital boards and the transfer of assets. The plans for closure will continue with the reorganisation of cancer services in eight hospitals.

Radiotherapy will be transferred to Beaumont and St James’.

“The ethos of St Lukes is to keep it as a hospital and not have it sold”, said Harney. “Land near the city centre for public health use is hard to find and there is a growing demand for health services.”

Although this has been justified by the Health Minister, it has not been met with as much support as first imagined. It has caused immeasurable controversy and hurt to those who have survived cancer and who have been at the mercy of the fantastic staff at St Lukes.

Chairperson of “Save St Luke’s Hospital” campaign and cancer survivor Joe Guilfoyle says ” St Lukes is one of the few success stories of our public health system”.

Guilfoyle goes on to add “Its is a hospital that patients like me are very happy to travel to. It is unacceptable that the minister is attempting to close it”.

I myself look forward to hearing more on what could potentially be damaging news to those who St Lukes have been paramount to their recovery.

Has the Health Minister gone too far this time or is this all part of a grand scheme of events to help the Irish public health system?

We’ll see.