Anaesthetics, Pain Relief and Critical Care Follow Up (PDF 797 KB)

In 2003/2004 the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety commissioned a value for money follow-up audit of Anaesthetics, Pain Relief and Critical Care (APRCC) services at twelve Trusts and covering fourteen hospital sites. The original study had reported in 1999/2000. Detailed follow-up reports, together with action plans have been agreed locally with Trusts. The objectives of the follow-up review were to: • Ascertain the progress made in implementing recommendations from the original study; • Provide data to compare performance across Trusts in areas such as: - Pre-operative assessments; - Organisation of post-operative pain relief; - Organisation of chronic pain services; - Levels of admissions to critical care units; - Occupancy in critical care units; and åÊ • Assess the extent of progress made by Trusts in the implementation of the Chief Medical Officer’s (CMO) recommendations from ‘Facing the Future –Building on the Lessons of Winter 1999/2000’. To enable comparisons across Trusts, data was collected for the financial year 2002/2003. In addition, relevant findings from the Audit Commission’s Acute Hospitals Portfolio have also been included. The Acute Hospital Portfolio is a collection of reviews that are undertaken at acute and specialist Trusts. They focus on key service areas and are reported along the key performance criteria of patient experience, efficiency and capacity. åÊ

Strategic development review of health board food control laboratories

The Official Food Safety laboratories have a critical role in ensuring food safety and public health for the whole population of the Republic of Ireland. These public health laboratories are made up of 7 microbiological testing laboratories and 3 chemical or Public Analyst’s laboratories. The laboratories are regionally based and offer an accredited (INAB) service to 10 health boards thus spanning the country. The role of the laboratories is to test food for compliance with the relevant legislation and guidelines, identify food-borne hazards and disease outbreaks, provide essential risk assessment information for national and international needs, provide a food testing service for consumers and a water testing service on a national basis. They also participate in dedicated National and EU surveys under the auspices of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). There has been significant investment and development in food-related public health protection in Ireland in recent years. However, there are still a number of issues that have the potential to impact on these laboratories in delivering a fully effective public health service in a cost efficient manner. Building on what has been achieved to date, this strategic review identifies those issues to be addressed in order to ensure (1) a cost effective national co-ordinated food safety laboratory service, (2) that future laboratory service needs are accounted for in the delivery of their Public Health role, and (3) that this Service meets both national and international requirements and standards.