Report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the Infection with HIV and Hepatitis C of Persons with Haemophilia and Related Matters

Pursuant to a resolution of Dail Eireann passed on the 2nd day of June 1999 and a resolution of Seanad Eireann on the 2nd day of June 1999, the Minister for Health & Children, Brian Cowen, T.D., on the 8th of September 1999 made an Order appointing a Tribunal to which the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921 (as adapted and amended) applied, to inquire urgently into and report and make such findings and recommendations as it saw fit to the Clerk of Dail Eireann on the definite matters of urgent public importance set out in sub-paragraphs 1 to 14 of the resolutions passed by Dail Eireann and Seanad Eireann.   Download document here   • Appendix 1-5 (4.03 MB)• Appendix 6-10 (13.7 MB)• Appendix 11-14 (1.06 MB)• Appendix 15-19 (1.25 MB)• Appendix 20-25 (2.75 MB)• Appendix 26-30 (1.59 MB)• Appendix 31-35 (2.12 MB)• Appendix 36-40 (4.13 MB• Appendix 41-45 (613 KB)• Appendix 46-50 (884 KB)• Appendix 51-54 (6.08 MB)

IPH response to the Joint Committee on Health and Children and members of the Northern Ireland Assembly on “Cross-border cooperation on healthcare”

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland were asked to submit a paper on 'Cross-border cooperation on healthcare' for a joint meeting between the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children and the Northern Ireland Assembly Health Committee which took place in Leinster House on 1 March 2012. Key points from the submission included: o    The Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH) is an all-island organisation which promotes cooperation between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with the aim of improving population health on the island and tackling health inequalities. IPH work is focused on addressing the causes of ill health rather than the design and delivery of treatment services. o    North/South cooperation on health was mandated under the Belfast Agreement in 1998 in five domains, including health promotion. IPH has supported the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in respect of the health promotion strand since inception. o    The Department of Health and Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety North-South Feasibility Study (December 2011) states that mutual benefits are most evident from cooperation in the areas of (i) anticipating trends and illnesses in a collective manner (ii) public health issues (iii) specialised services where the population or activity required to sustain the service cannot be met by either jurisdiction alone and (iv) in relation to those areas adjacent to the border. o    The European Directive on Cross-Border Healthcare will be implemented in the next few years which will have implications in relation to patients travelling for healthcare across the Republic of Ireland/Northern Ireland border. o    IPH is supporting the development of new public health strategies in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland which are both due for publication this year. o    There are tangible benefits from cross-border cooperation in the health sector, both in public health and in health service planning and delivery and there are many examples of successful initiatives. However, developments are not occurring in the context of an agreed plan or overall strategic context and tend to be project-based and concentrated in border counties. o    Successful cross-border cooperation requires high level support and integration into departmental policy cycles. The provision of data on an all-island basis supports cross-border cooperation as does the operation of sustainable all-island organisations which can support research, evaluations and programmes. o    In the future, cross-border cooperation in health will be more effective if developed with a strategic planning process intrinsically linked to Departmental priorities. o    North-South cooperation in the areas of alcohol, obesity, tobacco health surveys and rare diseases will be particularly beneficial.

Effective Utilisation of Professional Skills of Nurses and Midwives

The Working Group recommends that the grade of Health Care Assistant/Maternity Health Care Assistant be introduced as a member of the healthcare team to assist and support the nursing and midwifery function. Chapter two of the report explores the complementary roles of health care assistants and nurses and midwives. Chapter three examines issues related to delegation and integration of the health care assistant to the care team. Chapter four makes recommendations related to the education and training of health care assistants. The Working Groupâ?Ts recommendations are underpinned by a comprehensive literature review Download the Report here

EU report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

On 5 June 2014, the European Union published its first report on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). This document follows the ratification of the Convention by the EU in 2010 and its obligation to prepare and submit a report on its actions to support the implementation of the Convention. Read the report here.