IPH response to Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI): General and Children's Commercial Communications Codes (June 2012)

IPH submitted their views on the Draft BAI General and Commercial Communications Code. IPH previously submitted views to the BAI in the first phase of consultation (Oct 2011). The final code will regulate the advertising of food and non-alcoholic beverages that are high in fat, salt or sugar on Irish television channels. The submission sets out approaches to appropriate scheduling and content restrictions as well as to possible exemptions.

General and Abdominal Adiposity and Risk of Death in Europe

Previous studies have relied predominantly on the body-mass index (BMI, the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) to assess the association of adiposity with the risk of death, but few have examined whether the distribution of body fat contributes to the prediction of death. This study examined the association of BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio with the risk of death among 359,387 participants from nine countries in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). A Cox regression analysis was used, with age as the time variable, and stratified the models according to study center and age at recruitment, with further adjustment for educational level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and height.

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