DETERMINE Working Document #1 'Policies and actions addressing the social determinants of health inequalities: examples of activity at EU member state level in Europe'

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) is a partner in the European project DETERMINE, building on its previous involvement in the Closing the Gap project in 2004-2006. In the first year of the project (2007-2008) 15 DETERMINE partners identified policies and actions that have taken place within countries, and at the EU level, to address Social Determinants of Health Inequalities. These policies and actions were identified via a questionnaire, which also identified structures and tools/mechanisms being used in the country to support a 'health in all policy' approach.

Hiding the evidence: The State and spatial inequalities in health in Ireland

The Irish State has consistently reduced its production of publicly accessible disease / mortality maps over the last fifty years. State health statistics, and the small number of disease / mortality maps that have been produced in official publications, show a declining level of detail and are routinely out of date. Following a review of the production of disease / mortality maps in Ireland by the State and allied health agencies, two reasons are suggested for this decline. The first explanation relates to spatial inequalities in healthcare provision and to the absence of a health funding formulae in Ireland. The second explanation focuses on the potential politicisation of spatial inequalities in health status. Researchers in these fields are urged to disseminate information widely on spatial inequalities in healthcare provision, healthcare access and health status, both within and outside of the academic literature. Researchers in these fields are also urged to adopt an advocacy role on these issues, or to develop strategic alliances with such advocates.����

"I hadn't a penny": A review of State Income Supports Available to Young Parents

As Minister for Children, I am pleased to publish this paper which provides an overview of the income supports available for young parents. This paper has been commissioned as part of the evaluation of the Teenage Parents Support Initiative (TPSI) funded by the Department of Health and Children.The objective of this paper is to discuss the degree to which existing provision within the Irish welfare system meets the financial support needs of teenage parents, in particular, the level to which it meets the needs of different subgroups within the overall population of teenage parents. Download document here

Framework for Corporate and Financial Governance for Regulatory Bodies under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children

The document should be read as supplementary to existing requirements as set out both in statute â?" particularly legislation specific to your organisation, the Health Acts 1947-2004, Ombudsman Act, 1980, Data Protection Acts 1988 & 2003, Freedom of Information Acts 1997-2003, Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 & 2001, Ombudsman for Children Act, 2002 and the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act, 1993 – and in Government approved guidelines, including the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (2001), Public Financial Procedures, The Role and Responsibilities of Accounting Officers (2003) and Risk Management Guidance for Government Departments and Offices (2004). Read the report (PDF, 1.4mb)  

A Vision for Change - Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy

This Report proposes a framework of mental health service delivery with the service user at its centre. The emphasis is firmly on recovery and on facilitating active partnerships between service users, carers and mental health  professionals. Its recommendations are innovative and some of them are challenging. However, I have nodoubt that their implementation will bring about farreaching change and modernisation in the Irish mentalhealth services, which will be to the benefit of everyone concerned.” Tim O'Malley T.D.Minister of State at the Department of Health & Childrenwith special responsibility for mental health Download the Report (PDF, 1mb)

Report of the State Claims Agency on Compensation for Thalidomide Survivors

Report of the State Claims Agency on Compensation for Thalidomide Survivors Click here to download PDF 279KB

Non-Commercial State Agencies - Public Service Agreement Progress Report - October 2011

Non-Commercial State Agencies – Public Service Agreement Progress Report – October 2011 Click here to download PDF 35KB

Future Health - A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 - 2015

The Programme for Government promises the most fundamental reform of our health services in the history of the State. Future Health – A Srategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 – 2015 details the actions that we will take to deliver on this promise. The need for change in the health service is unquestionable. The current system is unfair to patients; it often  fails  to meet their needs fast enough; and it does not deliver value for money.   Click here to download

Framework Agreement between the Minister for Health and the Irish Medical Organisation in respect of a process for engagement concerning the GMS/GP Contract

Minister of State with responsibility for Primary Care, Alex White TD, today (4 June 2014) concluded a series of meetings with the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) with the signing of the Framework Agreement between the Minister of Health, the HSE and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) setting out a process for engagement concerning the GMS/GP contract and other publicly funded contracts involving General Practitioners (GPs). Download document here

The Path to Universal Healthcare: White Paper on Universal Health Insurance

  The Government is committed to ending the unfair, unequal and inefficient two-tier health system and to introducing a single-tier system, supported by universal health insurance The Government will achieve a single-tier system via a multi-payer model of universal health insurance (UHI), in line with the Programme for Government (PfG), involving competing private health insurers and a State-owned VHI. UHI will be gradually rolled out over several years, with full implementation by 2019 at the latest. Click here to download the White Paper (PDF, 1.5mb) Read the UHI Explained document (PDF, 200kb). See the stakeholder briefing (PDF, 400kb)

State of the Nation's Children: Ireland 2010

This is Ireland's third biennial State of the Nation's Children report. These reports,which provide the most up-to-date data on all indicators in the National Set of Child Well-Being Indicators, aim to:- chart the well-being of children in Ireland;- track changes over time;- benchmark progress in Ireland relative to other countries;- highlight policy issues arising. Download document here

Department of Health (RoI)

The role of the Department of Health is to provide strategic leadership for the health service and to ensure that Government policies are translated into actions and implemented effectively.  It supports the Minister and Ministers of State in their implementation of Government policy and in discharging their governmental, parliamentary and Departmental duties. This includes: advising on the strategic development of the health system including policy and legislation; evaluating the performance of the health and social services; and working with other sectors to enhance people’s health and well-being. The health service seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of people

Poots launches £18m state-of-the-art Telemonitoring NI service

Health Minister Edwin Poots today marked the roll-out of a ground-breaking hi-tech scheme which will enable more patients to monitor their health in their own homes. Following funding of £18m from the Department of Health, the newly named Centre for Connected Health and Social Care (CCHSC), part of the Public Health Agency, worked in partnership with business consortium TF3to establish the innovative Telemonitoring NI service. The service is now being delivered by the TF3 consortium in partnership with the Health and Social Care Trusts.Remote telemonitoring combines technology and services that enable patients with chronic diseases to test their vital signs such as pulse, blood pressure, body weight, temperature, blood glucose and oxygen levels at home on a daily basis. The service will now be rolled out to 3,500 patients across Northern Ireland per annum for a period of six years.Mr Poots today visited the home of Larne pensioner Michael Howard who has Chronic Pulmonary Obstructive Disorder (COPD) to hear how Telemonitoring NI has changed his life.During the visit Mr Poots said: "Chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and COPD affect around three quarters of people over the age of 75. This is the generation from whom transport and mobility pose the biggest problems. The Telemonitoring NI service will allow thousands to monitor their vital signs without having to leave their own homes."It means that patients are able to understand and manage their condition better. Many say it has improved their confidence and given them peace of mind. With a health professional monitoring each patient's health on a daily basis, there is less need for hospital admission. Carers are also better informed with the pro-active support provided. It means earlier intervention in, and the prevention of, deterioration of condition, acute illness and hospital admissions."Telemonitoring NI is an excellent example of how the Health Service can innovateusing modern technology to deliver a better service for our patients."Eddie Ritson, Programme Director of CCHSC, PHA, said: "The roll-out of Telemonitoring NI represents a significant step towards providing quality care for the growing number of people with heart disease, stroke, some respiratory conditions and diabetes who want to live at home while having their conditions safely managed."This new service will give people more information which combined with timely advice will enable patients to gain more control over their health while supporting them to live independently in their own homes for longer."A patient will take their vital sign measurements at home, usually on a daily basis. and these will automatically be transmited to the Tf3 system. The resulting readings are monitored centrally by a healthcare professional working in the Tf3 triage team. If the patient's readings show signs of deterioration to an unacceptable level, they will be contacted by phone by a nurse working in a central team and if appropriate a healthcare professional in the patient's local Trust will be alerted to enable them to take appropriate action."Families and carers will also benefit from the reassurance that chronic health conditions are being closely monitored on an ongoing basis. The information collected through the service can also be used by doctors, nurses and patients in making decisions on how individual cases should be managed. "Using the service, Mr Howard, 71, who has emphysema - a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath - monitors his vital signs using the new technology every weekday morning. The information is monitored centrally and if readings show signs of deterioration to an unacceptable level, Mr Howard's local healthcare professional is alerted."Taking my readings is such a simple process but one that gives me huge benefits as it is an early warning system to me and also for the specialist nurses in charge of my care. Without the remote telemonitoring I would be running back and forward to the GPs' surgery all the time to have things checked out," he explained."Having my signs monitored by a nurse means any changes in my condition are dealt with immediately and this has prevented me from being admitted to hospital - in the past I've had to spend six days in hospital any time I'm admitted with a chest infection."The telemonitoring is not only reassuring for me, it also gives me more control over managing my own condition and as a result I have less upheaval in my life, and I'm less of a cost to the health care system. Most importantly, it gives me peace of mind and one less thing to worry about at my age."Patients seeking further information about the new telemonitoring service should contact their healthcare professional.

A review of the health effects of stimulant drinks

The Food Safety Promotion Board, following a request from the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Dr. Tom Moffatt T.D., established the Stimulant Drinks Committee (consisting of external experts) to carry out research into the health effects of stimulant drinks. The task and terms of reference for the group were: • to review the potential health effects on the population of Ireland from the consumption of stimulant drinks • to assess the knowledge gaps • to consider the need for any action to protect public health.