Cardiovascular Disease In Women (Quality in Practice Committee)

Cardiovascular Disease In Women (Quality in Practice Committee) Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in men and women on a global basis. CVD affects men and women equally but evidence suggests that it is neither diagnosed as readily, nor treated as effectively, in women. Click here to download PDF 1.7mb

Building a Culture of Patient Safety - Report of the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance

The Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance was established in January 2007 and reported to the Minister in July 2008. The report was considered by government in January 2009 which agreed the implementation process. The overall objective of the Commission was to develop clear and practical recommendations to ensure that safety and quality of care for patients is paramount within the healthcare system. The Commission’s report set out a wide range of policy measures that will drive the safety and quality agenda in Irish healthcare in the coming years. The establishment of the Commission was prompted by an increasing awareness of patient safety issues in general and high profile health service system failures at home and abroad and in particular by the Lourdes Hospital Inquiry. These have underlined the need for an increased focus on patient safety and quality. Download document here Download summary document on the Report

First Quarterly Progress Report of the Implementation Steering Group on recommendations of the Report of the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance

First Quarterly Progress Report of the Implementation Steering Group on recommendations of the Report of the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance Click here to download PDF 56kb

Changing Cardiovascular Health: National Cardiovascular Health Policy 2010 - 2019

This new cardiovascular policy, Changing Cardiovascular Health covering the period 2010-2019, comes a decade after the first national cardiovascular health strategy, entitled Building Healthier Hearts, was published by the Department of Health in 1999. The new policy is timely given the pace of scientific discovery and related changes in medical practice, changes in health service structures, and patterns and influences on population health behaviours in Ireland over the decade. Cardiovascular health and its maintenance is a microcosm of health more generally. A policy that can improve cardiovascular health and cardiovascular disease management will have beneficial effects for the whole healthcare system and population.Download this document

Final Report of the Implementation Steering Group (ISG) on the recommendations of the Report of the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance

Final Report of the Implementation Steering Group (ISG) on the recommendations of the Report of the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance Click here to download PDF 235KB

Directive 2010/45/EU OF THE EU Parliament on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation

Over the past 50 years organ transplantation has become an established worldwide practice, bringing immense benefits to hundreds of thousands of patients. The use of human organs (hereinafter â?~organsâ?T) for transplantation has steadily increased during the last two decades. Organ transplantation is now the most cost-effective treatment for end-stage renal failure, while for end-stage failure of organs such as the liver, lung and heart it is the only available treatment. Click here to download PDF 806kb You can read a summary of the document here

Review of Roles & Responsibilities of the Food Safety Promotion Board (FSPB/SafeFood)

The Department carried out a review during 2012 on FSPB’s work in the food safety, diet and nutrition areas. This review, approved by the Minister on 25 January 2013, provides a summary of the responses received and recommendations made. Click here to download   PDF 63KB  

Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke - Research Grants for 2010 in Respiratory and Cardiovascular Disease

To download an Application Form, Guidance Notes and other information, please visit the website www.nichsa.com or contact Caoimhe Devlin, Research Assistant by email: cdevlin@nichsa.com or phone: 02890 266714 / 02890 320184 ext 248.

Cardiovascular Disease in Women

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in men and women on a global basis. CVD affects men and women equally but evidence suggests that it is neither diagnosed as readily, nor treated as effectively, in women. In Ireland between 2001 and 2005, an average of 2,484 women died each year from ischaemic heart disease (including myocardial infarction (MI)). (2) Yet, women seem largely unaware of their risk of developing cardiovascular disease, retaining the perception that CVD is predominantly a man's disease.

PHA - improving cardiovascular services

?The Public Health Agency has identified ways of delivering cardiovascular services that will help to tackle health inequalities. These are described in a new "health impact assessment" report, launched on 1 June at the Maureen Sheehan Centre, Belfast.The PHA, in partnership with a wide variety of community, voluntary and statutory bodies, leads the work to improve cardiovascular health and wellbeing, through better prevention and treatment services, delivered through a 'cardiovascular service framework'. The result of a wide consultation, this new report will help to improve the way those services are delivered by focusing on the needs of disadvantaged people.Explaining the importance of this work, Dr Adrian Mairs, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, PHA, said: "The Public Health Agency was set up to tackle health inequalities and promote better health and wellbeing across Northern Ireland. Despite many improvements in prevention and treatment, cardiovascular diseases remain the main cause of death in Northern Ireland. We know that these diseases, including heart disease, stroke, circulation problems, diabetes and renal disease have a greater and more severe impact on people living in poverty. "This work will help us to reduce the health inequalities that exist in our society by improving the way cardiovascular services are developed and delivered, eg ensuring stop smoking services meet local needs, identifying and treating high blood pressure, and helping people to take their medicines properly."The health impact assessment has been developed from other work, including a literature review, cardiovascular health and wellbeing profile, and full technical report. All of these resources are available on the PHA website, under 'Directorates', 'Service Development and Screening'. The work will also be used to help the development of service frameworks covering other disease areas. Putting a health inequalities focus on Northern Ireland cardiovascular service framework - Summary report: www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/putting-health-inequalities-focu... health and wellbeing profile for Northern Ireland: www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/cardiovascular-health-and-wellbe... health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland - Literature review: www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/cardiovascular-health-and-wellbe... focus (newsletter): www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/hia-focus

Putting a health inequalities focus on Northern Ireland cardiovascular service framework - Summary report

The PHA, supported by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) and other agencies and individuals, has completed a health impact assessment (HIA) on the Cardiovascular Service Framework (CVSFW) for Northern Ireland.The CVSFW is the first in a series of service frameworks developed in Northern Ireland to guide HSC provision from prevention and health improvement over early intervention in communities and general practice into hospital and other institutional settings towards rehabilitation, palliative care and end of life.The CVSFW is relevant to everyone who has a part in HSC services for health improvement, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), peripheral vascular disease and renal disease. This includes patients, carers, families, communities, voluntary and statutory service providers, policy makers and researchers.

Putting a health inequalities focus on the Northern Ireland cardiovascular service framework

The PHA, supported by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) and other agencies and individuals, has completed a health impact assessment (HIA) on the Cardiovascular Service Framework (CVSFW) for Northern Ireland.The CVSFW is the first in a series of service frameworks developed in Northern Ireland to guide HSC provision from prevention and health improvement over early intervention in communities and general practice into hospital and other institutional settings towards rehabilitation, palliative care and end of life.The CVSFW is relevant to everyone who has a part in HSC services for health improvement, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), peripheral vascular disease and renal disease. This includes patients, carers, families, communities, voluntary and statutory service providers, policy makers and researchers. There are many determinants which impact on cardiovascular disease. Individual lifestyles are major contributors and smoking remains one of the biggest risk factors for the disease alongside sedentary lifestyles and alcohol consumption. Circumstances experienced during the early years influence health and wellbeing into adulthood. Breastfeeding can help protect against obesity, while physical activity and eating habits developed from a young age often form lifelong patterns of behaviour. Living and working conditions also impact on health. Type of job, level of control and employment conditions are major factors. Educational achievement and income are also powerful influences on health. The environment where we live can provide access to open and green space, which plays an important part in physical activity patterns alongside available transport infrastructure. As well as physical health impacts, all of these factors also influence mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Cardiovascular health and wellbeing profile for Northern Ireland

The PHA, supported by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) and other agencies and individuals, has completed a health impact assessment (HIA) on the Cardiovascular Service Framework (CVSFW) for Northern Ireland.The CVSFW is the first in a series of service frameworks developed in Northern Ireland to guide HSC provision from prevention and health improvement over early intervention in communities and general practice into hospital and other institutional settings towards rehabilitation, palliative care and end of life.The CVSFW is relevant to everyone who has a part in HSC services for health improvement, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), peripheral vascular disease and renal disease. This includes patients, carers, families, communities, voluntary and statutory service providers, policy makers and researchers.

Cardiovascular health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland - Literature review

The PHA, supported by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) and other agencies and individuals, has completed a health impact assessment (HIA) on the Cardiovascular Service Framework (CVSFW) for Northern Ireland.The CVSFW is the first in a series of service frameworks developed in Northern Ireland to guide HSC provision from prevention and health improvement over early intervention in communities and general practice into hospital and other institutional settings towards rehabilitation, palliative care and end of life.The CVSFW is relevant to everyone who has a part in HSC services for health improvement, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), peripheral vascular disease and renal disease. This includes patients, carers, families, communities, voluntary and statutory service providers, policy makers and researchers.

Consumer Food Safety Knowledge, Microbiology & Refrigeration Temperatures in Domestic Kitchens

This study examined consumer food safety knowledge on the island of Ireland. Domestic refrigerators were tested for the presence of a range of pathogenic bacteria.