Feasibility Study On A Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) For The Island Of Ireland

A feasibility study on the costs and benefits associated with the introduction of dedicated Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) was commissioned by the Department of Health and Children, Dublin and the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Belfast. The study was commissioned on foot of advice by the Cross Border Working Group on Pre-Hospital Care Working Group, one of the Groups established under the “Good Friday Agreement”.

Workforce Planning Review - Medical Profession (PDF 311 KB)

Final Report March 2003

Modernising Medical Careers (PDF 64 KB)

The response of the four UK Health Ministers to the Consultation on 'Unfinished Business'

Underutilization of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Efforts to reduce costs in health care may raise concerns about underuse of medical procedures. This study prospectively assessed underuse of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in a cohort of patients in whom we have recently published data on overuse of endoscopy. METHODS: Underuse was identified by formal necessity criteria for endoscopy, obtained by an explicit panel process. Outpatients were consecutively included in two clinical settings. Setting A consisted of 20 primary care physicians and 7215 patient visits that occurred within 1 month. Setting B consisted of 920 visits that occurred during 3 weeks at an outpatient clinic. RESULTS: During these 8135 visits, 611 patients complained of upper digestive symptoms; 63 of them underwent endoscopy. Underuse was identified in 72 patients (11.8%). The two clinical situations mainly responsible for underuse of endoscopy were uninvestigated peptic symptoms resistant to treatment and dysphagia. At first follow-up, 29 of the patients with initial underuse still fulfilled criteria of necessity (underuse rate, 4.7%). One-year follow-up showed underuse of endoscopy in 5 patients. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective evidence shows that underuse of a medical procedure exists. The estimated overuse and underuse of endoscopy in this cohort were approximately equal (5%). Improving quality of care will require reductions of both overuse and underuse of medical procedures.

Report of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) 2001 (PDF 1.18 MB)

Chief Medical Officer Annual Report 2001

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Updates

Department of Health, Social Services and Public SafetyInformation OfficeC5.20Castle BuildingsStormontBelfastBT4 3SQ

Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer for the year 2000

This is the second in a series of annual reports from the Office of the Chief Medical Officer. It takes as its theme the issue of child health. The report seeks to identify and analyse child health status, child health services and the broader socio-economic determinants of child health Download the Report here

Report of the Forum on Medical Manpower

The proposals for change which emerged from the debate were put in context with the announcement by the Minister for Health and Children on 7th May 1998 of the establishment of the Forum on Medical Manpower to develop a programme of action to deliver changes necessary in this area. The purpose of the Forum was to: ofacilitate the development and implementation of a comprehensive Manpower policy relating to training, career structure, and service delivery, designed to address the problems that have been identified.â?Âù Download the Report here

Report to the Minister for Health and Children: Independent Examination related to the Medical Council and South-Eastern Health Board (Dr John Harding Price)

The Minister for Health and Children has requested that an independent review be carried out of the circumstances surrounding the employment of a UK based Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr John Harding-Price, to a locum psychiatrist position with the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) while he was suspended by the General Medical Council (GMC) in the United Kingdom and consequently the subject of legal proceedings by the Medical Council in Ireland. The Consultant was continuously registered with the Medical Council since 1968. Download the document here

Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer for the year 2001

Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer for the year 2001 The Chief Medical Officer's report 2001 is being presented in the context of the publication in November 2001 of the Health Strategy Quality and Fairness: A Health System for You. This strategy was developed after the most intensive consultation process ever undertaken by the Department of Health and Children and: Click here to download PDF 883kb

Flexible Training Strategy (National Task Force on Medical Staffing)

Flexible Training Strategy (National Task Force on Medical Staffing) The Flexible Training Strategy, while endorsing flexible/part-time options recognises that the preferred option for the majority of doctors-in-training and consultants is most likely to continue to be full-time training and work. Click here to download PDF