A Policy to Make Best Use of Resources in Plastic Surgery and Related Specialties (PDF 178 KB)

The purpose of this policy is to introduce a transparent approach to making best use of resources in plastic surgery and related specialties. It was finalised after a formal Public Consultation that included distribution of the Consultation Document to a range of organisations and individuals, meetings with Board representatives as requested and press releases in local and regional media outlets. All responses to the Consultation were considered carefully in developing this final policy. åÊ åÊ

Speech by Mr Micheál Martin TD at Launch of Pre-Registration Nursing Degree Programme

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I am very pleased that you were all able to accept my invitation to join me here today on this landmark occasion for nursing education. It is fitting that all of the key stakeholders from the health and education sectors should be so well represented at the launch of an historic new development. Rapid and unpredictable change throughout society has been the hallmark of the twenty-first century, and healthcare is no exception. Regardless of what change occurs, no one doubts that nursing is intrinsic to the health of this nation. However, significant changes in nurse education are now needed if the profession is to deliver on its social mandate to promote people´s health by providing excellent and sensitive care. As science, technology and the demands of the public for sophisticated and responsive health care become increasingly complex, it is essential that the foundation of nursing education is redesigned. Pre-registration nursing education has already undergone radical change over the past eight years, during which time it has moved from an apprenticeship model of education and training to a diploma based programme firmly rooted in higher education. The Secretary General of my Department, Michael Kelly, played a leading role in bringing about this transformation, which has greatly enhanced the way students are prepared for entry to the nursing profession. The benefits of the revised model of education are clearly evident from the quality of the nurses graduating from the diploma programme. The Commission on Nursing examined the whole area of nursing education, and set out a very convincing case for educating nursing students to degree level. It argued that nurses of the future would be required to possess increased flexibility and the ability to work autonomously. A degree programme would provide nurses with a theoretical underpinning that would enable them to develop their clinical skills to a greater extent and to respond to future challenges in health care, for the benefit of patients and clients of the health services. The Commission has provided a solid framework for the professional development of nurses and midwives, including a process that is already underway for the creation of clinical nurse specialist and advanced nurse practitioner posts. This process will facilitate the transfer of skills across divisions of nursing. In this scenario, it is clearly desirable that the future benchmark qualification for registration as a nurse should be a degree in nursing studies. A Nursing Education Forum was established in early 1999 to prepare a strategic framework for the implementation of a nursing degree programme. When launching the Forum´s report last January, I indicated that the Government had agreed in principle to the introduction of the proposed degree programme next year. At the time two substantial outstanding issues had yet to be resolved, namely the basis on which nurse teachers would transfer from the health sector to the education sector and the amount of capital and revenue funding required to operate the degree programme. My Department has brokered agreements between the Nursing Alliance and the Higher Education Institutions for the assimilation of nurse teachers as lecturers into their affiliated institutions. The terms of these agreements have been accepted by all four nursing unions following a ballot of their nurse teacher members. I would like to pay particular tribute to all nurse teachers who have contributed to shaping the position, relevance and visibility of nursing through leadership, which embodies scholarship and excellence in the profession of nursing itself. In response to a recommendation of the Nursing Education Forum, I established an Inter-Departmental Steering Committee, chaired by Bernard Carey of my Department, to consider all the funding and policy issues. This Steering Committee includes representatives of the Department of Finance and the Department of Education and Science as well as the Higher Education Authority. The Steering Committee has been engaged in intensive negotiations with representatives of the Conference of Heads of Irish Universities and the Institutes of Technology in relation to their capital and revenue funding requirements. These negotiations were successfully concluded within the past few weeks. The satisfactory resolution of the industrial relations and funding issues cleared the way for me to go to the Government with concrete proposals for the implementation of degree level education for nursing students. I am delighted to announce here today that the Government has approved all of my proposals, and that a four-year undergraduate pre-registration nursing degree programme will be implemented on a nation-wide basis at the start of the next academic year, 2002/2003. The Government has approved the provision of capital funding totalling £176 million pounds for a major building and equipment programme to facilitate the full integration of nursing students into the higher education sector. This programme is due to be completed by September 2004, and will ensure that nursing students are accommodated in purpose built schools of nursing studies with state of the art clinical skills and human science laboratories at thirteen higher education sites throughout the country. The Government has also agreed to make available the substantial additional revenue funding required to support the nursing degree programme. By 2006, the full year cost of operating the programme will rise to some £43 million pounds. The scale of this investment in pre-registration nursing education is enormous by any yardstick. It demonstrates the firm commitment of myself and my Government colleagues to the full implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on Nursing, of which the introduction of pre-registration degree level education is arguably the most important. This historic decision, and it is truly historic, will finally put the education of nurses on a par with the education of other health care professionals. The nursing profession has long been striving for parity, and my own involvement in the achievement of it is a matter of deep personal satisfaction to me. I am also pleased to announce that the Government has approved my plans for increasing the number of nursing training places to coincide with the implementation of the degree programme next year. Ninety-three additional places in mental handicap and psychiatric nursing will be created at Athlone, Letterkenny, Tralee and Waterford Institutes of Technology. This will yield 392 extra places over the four years of the degree programme. A total of 1,640 places annually on the new degree programme will thus be available. This is an all-time record, and maintaining the annual student intake at this level for the foreseeable future is a key element of my overall strategy for ensuring that we produce sufficient “home-grown” nurses for our health services. I am aware that the Nursing Alliance were anxious that some funding would be provided for the further academic career development of nurse teachers who transfer to one of the six Universities that will be involved in the delivery of the degree programme. I am happy to confirm that up to £300,000 in total per year will be available for this purpose over the first four years of the degree programme. In line with a recommendation of the Commission on Nursing, my Department will have responsibility for the administration of the nursing degree budget until the programme has been bedded down in the higher education sector. A primary concern will be to ensure that the substantial capital and revenue funding involved is ring-fenced for nursing studies. It is intended that responsibility for the budget will be transferred to the Department of Education and Science after the first cohort of nursing degree students have graduated in 2006. In the context of today´s launch, it is relevant to refer to a special initiative that I introduced last year to assist registered nurses wishing to undertake part-time nursing degree courses. Under this initiative, nurses are entitled to have their course fees paid by their employers in return for a commitment to continue working in the public health service for a period following completion of the course. This initiative has proved extremely popular with large numbers of nurses availing of it. I want to confirm here today that the free fees initiative will continue in operation until 2005, at a total cost of at least £15 million pounds. I am giving this commitment in order to assure this year´s intake of nursing students to the final diploma programmes that fee support for a part-time nursing degree course will be available to them when they graduate in three years time. The focus of today´s celebration is rightly on the landmark Government decision to implement the nursing degree programme next year. As Minister for Health and Children, and as a former Minister for Education, I also have a particular interest in the educational opportunities available to other health service workers to upgrade their skills. I am pleased to announce that the Government has approved my proposals for the introduction of a sponsorship scheme for suitable, experienced health care assistants who wish to become nurses. This new scheme will commence next year and will be administered by the health boards. Successful applicants will be allowed to retain their existing salaries throughout the four years of the degree programme in return for a commitment to work as nurses for their health service employer for a period of five years following registration. Up to forty sponsorships will be available annually. The new scheme will enable suitable applicants to undertake nursing education and training without suffering financial hardship. The greatest advantage of the scheme will be the retention by the public health service of staff who are supported under it, since they will have had practical experience of working in the service and their own personal commitment to upgrading their skills will be informed by that experience. I am confident that the sponsorship scheme will be warmly welcomed by health service unions representing care assistants as providing an exciting new career development path for their members. Education and health are now the two pillars upon which the profession of nursing rests. We must continue to build bridges, even tunnels where needed to strengthen this partnership. We must all understand partnerships donâ?Tt just happen they are designed and must be worked at. The changes outlined here today are powerful incentives for those in healthcare agencies, academic institutions and regulatory bodies to design revolutionary programmes capable of shaping a critical mass of excellent practitioners. You have an opportunity, greater perhaps than has been granted to any other generation in history to make certain those changes are for the good. Ultimately changes that will make the country a healthier and more equitable place to live. The challenge relates to building a seamless preparatory programme which equally respects both education and practise as an indivisible duo whilst ensuring that high tech does not replace the human touch. This is a special day in the history of the development of the Irish nursing profession, and I would like to thank everybody for their contribution. I want to express my particular appreciation of two people who by this stage are well known to all of you – Bernard Carey of my Department and Siobhán O´Halloran of the National Implementation Committee. Bernard and Siobhán have devoted considerable time and energy to the project on my behalf over the past fourteen months or so. That we are here today celebrating the launch of degree level education is due in no small part to their successful execution of the mandate that I gave them. We live in a rapidly changing world, one in which nursing can no longer rely on systems of the past to guide it through the new millennium. In terms of contemporary healthcare, nursing is no longer just a reciprocal kindness but rather a highly complex set of professional behaviours, which require serious educational investment. Pre-registration nurse education will always need development and redesign to ensure our health care system meets the demands of modern society. Nothing is finite. Today more than ever the health system is dependent on the resourcefulness of nursing. I have no doubt that the new educational landscape painted will ensure that nurses of the future will be increasingly innovative, independent and in demand. The unmistakable message from my Department is that nursing really matters. Thank you.

Prompt Payments by Government Departments pursuant to Government Decision No. S29296 of May 2009

Prompt Payments by Government Departments pursuant to Government Decision No. S29296 of May 2009 Click here to download PDF 22kb

Don't put patients at risk: make hand hygiene your priority

This poster is part of an extension of the cleanyourhands campaign, aimed at preventing the spread of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) in community healthcare settings including primary care and dental services, residential and nursing homes (including independent sector homes), hospices and independent clinics/hospitals. It is designed to heighten awareness among staff in clinical/treatment areas of their power to help protect patients from avoidable infections by cleaning their hands. Due to licensing restrictions, this poster is not available for download. Limited numbers are available from local HSC Trusts (Belfast HSCT and South Eastern HSCT on 028 9056 5862; Southern HSCT on 028 3741 2887; Northern HSCT on 028 2563 5575; Western HSCT on 028 7186 5127).

Make the first move!

This leaflet was developed in conjunction with Age Concern as part of the Actively Ageing Well initiative and provides information on physical activity aimed at retired people.

If you care make sure they're protected against flu

This poster encourages carers of elderly or disabled people to get the flu vaccine.

Eye screening for diabetics - prevents blindness

Diabetes is a common condition affecting around 69,000 people in Northern Ireland. One of the possible complications of diabetes is a condition called diabetic retinopathy, which can cause sight loss and blindness. Retinopathy causes damage to the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish the retina, the tissues in the back of the eye that deal with light. This can seriously affect vision.Research shows that if retinopathy is identified early, for example through retinal screening, and treated appropriately, blindness can be prevented in the majority of people with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2.Screening programmeIn Northern Ireland, a diabetic retinopathy screening programme (DRSP), run by the Public Health Agency, has been put in place to screen all eligible people with diabetes aged 12 years and over. Dr Bernadette Cullen, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, PHA, said: "Screening detects problems early and allows appropriate treatment to be offered. It is vital that everyone with diabetes attends diabetic retinopathy screening when it is offered. Early detection of potential problems offers a very real opportunity to intervene and, with appropriate treatment, can prevent blindness in the majority of those at risk."The screening testThe screening test involves photographs being taken of the back of each eye, using a special camera. The test is painless and takes about 15 minutes. If the person is over 50 years of age, they will need to have drops put in their eyes about 15 minutes before the test to dilate their pupils.The photographs are sent to the regional screening centre for analysis by trained graders. Results will show whether patients require further referral for assessment or treatment by hospital eye services (HES). If this is not required, screening will be offered again the following year.GPs are informed of all results and if the patient is under the care of a diabetologist, they too will be informed. Patients are informed of results by their GP and if they need an urgent referral, protocols are in place to ensure this happens.Many people with diabetes attend their optometrist (optician) on a regular basis to have a sight test for glasses. It is important they continue to do this - this test is free to people with diabetes. It is also vital that people with diabetes attend for diabetic retinopathy screening when invited, regardless of how or where their diabetes is treated, or whether they visit a hospital consultant/GP for their diabetic care.Patients are invited to screening via their GP practice. An information leaflet to help patients make an informed decision to attend for screening is also sent. This can be accessed via the PHA website: www.publichealth.hscni.net.

Smoking causes mouth cancer, PHA warns

Mouth cancer awareness week begins on the 13 - 20 November. With this in mind the Public Health Agency is urging everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms of mouth cancer and is encouraging all smokers thinking about stopping smoking to make the decision to stop today.In Northern Ireland 195 people were diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2009. The disease causes one death every five hours in the UK and yet it is one of the least well-known cancers. Smoking and excess alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing mouth cancer, which can occur in or on any part of the mouth, tongue, lips, neck and throat. In its very early stages, mouth cancer can be easy to ignore. Most people with mouth cancer have no early symptoms at all, but others may have:an ulcer in the mouth or on the lip that won't heal; constant pain or soreness; red or white patches in the mouth;a lump on the lip, tongue or in the neck; bad breath; unexplained bleeding in the mouth; numbness in the mouth; loose teeth.The earlier the disease is caught, the better. Survival rates rise to 90 per cent if the cancer is treated before it has spread. Gerry Bleakney, Head of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement, PHA, said: "Certain lifestyle choices can increase an individual's risk of developing mouth cancer. Tobacco is considered to be the main cause of mouth cancer, with three in four cases being linked to smoking. Excess alcohol consumption is also a known factor, with those who both smoke and drink excessively being up 30 times more likely to be at risk. "Mouth cancer and the treatment required can be traumatic for the patient as this may affect functions such as speech, chewing and swallowing. The positive news is that stopping smoking is associated with a rapid reduction in the risk of oral cancers. Regular trips to the dentist are also a must because half of all mouth cancer cases are detected by dentists."I would encourage everyone who is thinking about quitting to log on to our Want 2 Stop website www.want2stop.info and order a 'Quit Kit' free of charge. Alternatively contact the Smokers' Helpline on 0808 812 8008. "Health Minister Edwin Poots said: "Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in Northern Ireland.It is a major risk factor for oral cancer, as well as coronary heart disease, strokes and other diseases of the circulatory system. Approximately 2,300 people die each year in Northern Ireland from smoking related illnesses. Quitting smoking is the single most effective step people can take to improve their long term health."A key objective of the Department's new ten-year tobacco control strategy, due to be published next month,is to prevent people from starting to smoke. Funding provided by the Department for smoking cessation services has resulted in around 650 such services being made available in Northern Ireland in a range of settings, including pharmacies, GP surgeries and community centres. These services have helped almost 80,000 smokers to set a quit date between 2008/09 and 2010/11."The Minister added: "It is also important for people to look after their oral health by regularly attending the dentist for check-ups, as any problems can be picked up and treated at an early stage."

The PHA message is clear for World COPD Day - smoking is bad for your lungs

In 2011, 31,574 people were registered as having Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in Northern Ireland. The most common cause of COPD is smoking and to mark this year's World COPD day, which takes place on Wednesday 16 November, the Public Health Agency is encouraging all smokers to make a decision to stop smoking today and reduce their risk of developing the disease.COPD refers to a group of diseases which includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and in some cases asthma. With COPD, the airways in the lungs become damaged, causing them to become narrower, therefore restricting airflow and thus making it harder to breathe. The most common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, wheezing, abnormal sputum (a mix of saliva and mucus in the airway), and a chronic cough often mistaken for a 'smokers' cough'. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending upon how advanced the disease is. In advanced cases, daily activities, such as walking up a short flight of stairs, can become very difficult.There is no cure for COPD. Stopping smoking is the single most effective wayto reduce your risk of developing COPD and avoid any further damage to the lungs. Gerry Bleakney, Head of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement, PHA, said: "Smoking causes the lining of the airways to become inflamed and damaged and is the biggest cause of COPD. The risk of developing COPD increases the more an individual smokes and the longer they smoke. "The good news is that making changes to your lifestyle can reduce your risk of developing COPD. Stopping smoking reduces the risk of developing COPD and also slows down its progression. There is support available to help you quit and I would encourage everyone thinking about stopping smoking to log on to our Want 2 Stop website www.want2stop.info and order a 'Quit Kit' free of charge. Alternatively contact the Smokers' Helpline on 0808 812 8008 for help on planning to stop smoking or to find out where your nearest Stop Smoking Service is. "The Health Minister Edwin Poots said: "The impact of living with COPD can place a considerable strain on the lives of those suffering from the condition and their families. I understand that most smokers want to quit but it is not always easy to succeed and that several attempts are frequently necessary. I would therefore urge all smokers on world COPD day, to make that commitment to stop smoking. Professional help and support are readily available. There are almost 650 smoking cessation services provided all over Northern Ireland, mostly in community pharmacies, but also in GP surgeries, hospitals, community halls and schools."

Novel Strategies For Food Risk

Our every day decision-making behaviour relating to food choice is taken in the context of considerations of health, naturalness, economy, convenience and what we perceive as ‘risk’. Risk perception is now as important as any technical assessment of risk. In order to communicate effectively with the consumer about food risks, the importance of the exchange of information and opinions among the interested parties is recognised (FAO/WHO, 1998). Risk communication is “not just a matter of ensuring that one’s messages are delivered and listened to â€_.. also very much a process of empowering individuals â€_. to sharpen the skills necessary to make balanced judgements on risksâ€ù, (Scherer 1991). This safefood review, conducted on an all-island of Ireland basis, provides valuable insights into the perception of food safety risk from consumers on the island of Ireland and the food safety expert viewpoint. It explores the barriers to communicating with consumers on the island of Ireland about food safety risk. It also studies the barriers to promoting and practising good food hygiene - subgroups within the population are identified as being at ‘high risk’ because of inadequate levels of knowledge or more frequently resulting from not believing that the investment of time and effort in good food safety practice is worthwhile.

Accepting Methadone: The Evolution of an Institutional Decision

This is a study of organisational decision making among senior civil servants in the Department of Health (DOH) in relation to the acceptance of methadone maintenance as a valid treatment modality for opiate misuse in Ireland. A qualitative strategy was adopted with an emergent design and grounded theory perspective. The data was collected using a naturalistic mode of inquiry and comprised of documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews. The aspects of decision making chosen for the study were: 1. Identifying the actors involved considering the heretofore dominant 'corporation sole' culture of the Irish public administration. 2. Identifying two (out of the myriad) processes involved in decision making. 3. Identifying what theoretical model(s) of decision making most closely approximates to this case. The findings were as follows: 1. Actors involved at all levels of the decision making could be identified, albeit with some difficulty. This as a result of the strategic management initiative. Previously, it may not have been possible. Stages or phases could not, in this case, be readily identified though limitations of this study may prove significant. 2. Both the processes selected in decision-making in this case were confirmed. Personal and professional support provided by peers and seniors is crucial to decision making. Decision making does occur within networks: these tend to be those that are formally appointed rather than informal ones. 3. The model closest to that of this case was that of incremental decision making within network settings.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

BGS response to the Health Foundation Improvement Report on Dementia Care

Dementia services have moved up the agenda in recent years, highlighted by the publication of the National Dementia Strategy in February 2009. The Health Foundation's improvement report on dementia care hopes to bring together data, research and good practice, with an assessment of the current quality gap.Background to The Health Foundation's Improvement Reports in 2010. At the end of 2009 the Health Foundation agreed a new research and development strategy with the following aims:To make a significant contribution to strengthening the evidence base on how to improve quality in the health care systems of the UK To ensure that this body of knowledge, and a commitment to developing the knowledge shapes our work programmes To promote the use of this evidence base by decision makers at all levels in the health care system Improvement reports will aim to engage the reader by presenting best practice evidence alongside data on current performance and introducing commentary and debate, interpretation about possible next steps and case studies.�� They will build on the success of the chart books produced to date: Bridging the Quality Gap in Stroke services�۪ Quality in healthcare in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland: an intra-UK chart book�۪, together with Bridging the Quality Gap in Heart Failure�۪ to be published early 2010. Improvement reports will be dynamic and flexible through use of a mix of print products and pages on the Health Foundation�۪s website.

Women and Dementia - Not forgotten ILC-UK

ILC-UK recently (31 Aug 2011)��published a report calling for a gendered approach and response to dementia at the national and international level. The report posits that women will disproportionately bear the burden of dementia in terms of numbers, but also impact in the coming years. The ‘feminization of ageing’ is a widely recognised trend and yet hitherto a comprehensive approach to the impact of dementia on women remains largely under explored.Invariably women and men as they age, share many of the same fundamental needs. Yet, as is acknowledged in many parts of the world, older women are particularly vulnerable and are subject to prolonged inequalities experienced since childhood, for example, lower levels of education and a greater risk of poverty. This report assumes a life course approach to the challenge of dementia and women, arguing from a global perspective that women face a ‘triple jeopardy’ as a result of the associated stigma attached to their age, gender and decline in cognitive functions. ILC-UK make a number of recommendations for improving outcomes and interventions for women, which include: 1. Dementia health policies and programmes should incorporate a gender dimension in their design, delivery and evaluation2. Gender should be included as a key health determinant in the promotion and disease prevention of dementia3. Dementia research at the regional, national and international level needs to be disaggregated by gender and age4. Women and men should be equally represented and involved at the micro and macro level of decision-making with regard to the development of health and social care policies and resource allocation as they pertain to dementia5. There is a need for greater interdisciplinary research incorporating the biological and social models of health for men and women to improve health interventions and outcomesDownload the full pdf report here��

Consultation on Personal and Public Involvement strategy

Personal and Public Involvement (PPI) is an integral element of effective commissioning and is underpinned by a core set of values and principles - involving and listening to people in order to help us make services better.It brings about a number of recognised benefits if fully embraced into our culture and practice, these include:Use of service user knowledge and expertise;Better priority setting and decision making;More responsive, appropriate, efficient and tailored services;Transformation and reduction of complaints;Increased levels of service satisfaction;Increased dignity and self worth.The Public Health Agency (PHA) and Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) have now developed a joint Personal and Public Involvement (PPI) Strategy after extensive engagement and discussion. The Strategy has been approved by both organisations and is now being formally consulted on during the period 23rd June 2011 to 15th September 2011.The Strategy is now available for your consideration. We have developed the following documents (please see attachments below):Valuing People, Valuing Their Participation. Involving You and Listening to You Consultation Document.Valuing People, Valuing Their Participation, Involving You and Listening to You. [An Easy Read version of the Personal and Public Involvement Strategy].Valuing People, Valuing Their Participation. [An Equality and Human Rights Screening of the Strategy].Key Questions to guide consideration of the Personal and Public Involvement Strategy.People are encouraged to read the Strategy and to let us have your views.� There is a set of Key Questions, but any comments, ideas and or suggestions that you may have, that could support us in our efforts to embed Personal and Public Involvement into our culture and practice, would be most welcome.Responses should be returned by 4.00pm on Thursday 15th September 2011 to:By post:Martin QuinnRegional PPI LeadPublic Health AgencyGransha Park House15 Gransha ParkLondonderryBT47 6FNBy email: siobhan.carlin@hscni.net By telephone: (028) 7186 0086A more detailed version of the consultation document is avalable by clicking here or contacting Siobhan Carlin, email: siobhan.carlin@hscni.net, Tel: (028) 7186 0086.If you require any of these documents in an alternative format such as Braille, larger print or in another language if you are not fluent in English, please do not hesitate to contact us.A report of feedback received as part of this consultation can be made available upon request.Please be aware that the PHA and HSCB are also currently consulting on the Community Development Strategy.You are invited to consider responding to this consultation as well if appropriate.

Protecting you and your baby: Blood tests at your first antenatal visit

This leaflet gives information on the blood tests that are normally offered and recommended at the first antenatal visit. These tests look for possible health problems that could affect the mother's health and the health of the baby. Only one sample of blood is needed to do all six tests. The tests are done by consent and this leaflet should help pregnant women make their decision.