Liam Downey Letter to Minister for Health and Children

Liam Downey Letter to HSE I refer to your letter dated 27th November 2007 requesting the Board to undertake an immediate review of the management of all events following the decision to suspend breast radiology service at the Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise.The HSE Board met on 27th November, 2007 to consider this request. It decided to establish a Board Committee to finalise the terms of reference for the review and to engage an external independent person to conduct it. Click here to download PDF 44kb

Report of the the National Health Consultative Forum 2008

Report of the the National Health Consultative Forum 2008 The National Health Consultative Forum was convened by the Minister under Part 8 of The Health Act, 2004. This was the second National Health Consultative to be convened under the Act, to advise the Minister on matters relating to the provision of health and personal social services. The theme for the 2008 Forum, which was chaired by Dr. John Bowman was: Best practice in change programmes having particular regard to the move from hospital to community based health services, incorporating current thinking on innovative practices and flexible working ways. Click here to download PDF 1.7mb

Department of Health & Children: Statement of Strategy 2008 - 2010

During the period covered by our last Statement of Strategy, fundamental changes were made to the structures and organisation of our health services. Most notably, the Health Service Executive (HSE) was established, and given statutory responsibility to use the resources available to it in the most beneficial, effective, and efficient manner to improve, promote and protect the health and welfare of the public. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) was established to help drive continuous improvement in Ireland's health and social care services. Click here to download PDF 464kb

Department of Health and Children Annual Report 2007

This Annual Report sets out the progress made in 2007 in implementing the Department's Statement of Strategy 2005-2007.The maintenance of health, and the delivery of appropriate care to those who need it, when they need it, must be a key objective of Government.   Download document here

Department of Health and Children Annual Report 2008

Annual Report 2008 Click here to download PDF 276mb

Health In Ireland: Key Trends 2010

This edition of Health in Ireland: Key Trends provides an overview of significant trends in health and the health services during the past decade. The aim is to reflect the main areas of health and health care and to highlight selected topics of growing concern and/or where new data has become available. Click here to download 2.03MB PDF

All Ireland Traveller Health Study: Our Geels - The Birth Cohort Study Follow Up

The birth cohort study was a one year follow-up of all Traveller babies born on the island of Ireland between 14th October 2008 and 13th October 2009. The mother had to self-identify as an Irish Traveller. The aim of study was to assess the health status of Traveller infants and their mothers, quantify health service use, conditions needing health services and to examine why Traveller infants die. Click here to download PDF 7.72MB See all reports here

Facilitation Process Concerning the Difficulties in Implementing A Vision For Change in the South Tipperary and Carlow Kilkenny Catchment Area Mental Health Service

Facilitation Process Concerning the Difficulties in Implementing A Vision For Change in the South Tipperary and Carlow Kilkenny Catchment Area Mental Health Service Click here to download PDF 4.27MB

Public Service Agreement 2010-2014 - Health Sector Action Plan 2012

This revised Action Plan is designed to support the delivery of the HSEâ?Ts 2012 National Service Plan by facilitating the fast-tracking of measures required to deliver essential health and personal social services across the country within the context of further reductions in funding and staff numbers. The implementation of the National Service Plan, approved by the Minister for Health on 13 January 2012, represents a major challenge to the health services and comes at a time of major reform of the public health system.   Click here to download PDF 161kb

Interim Report of the Steering Group on the Review of the Mental Health Act 2001

Interim Report of the Steering Group on the Review of the Mental Health Act 2001 There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to review the Mental Health Act 2001. In line with this, Minister Lynch appointed a Steering Group to review the Mental Health Act 2001. Their report is now with an Expert Group. The review takes accounts of the significant changes in thinking about the delivery of mental health services that have taken place in the last ten years (including the introduction of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD), the shift to community based services, the adoption of a recovery approach in every aspect of service delivery and the involvement of service users as partners in their own care and in the development of the service). Click here to download PDF 471kb

Future Health - A Strategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 - 2015

The Programme for Government promises the most fundamental reform of our health services in the history of the State. Future Health – A Srategic Framework for Reform of the Health Service 2012 – 2015 details the actions that we will take to deliver on this promise. The need for change in the health service is unquestionable. The current system is unfair to patients; it often  fails  to meet their needs fast enough; and it does not deliver value for money.   Click here to download

Department of Health Statement of Strategy 2011-2014

The Programme for Government sets out an agenda of fundamental change for our health services. The Department of Health must lead the implementation of Government policy and, in the course of the coming years, must also remodel itself to meet the challenges inherent in these radical changes. This Statement of Strategy outlines the high-level aims and objectives of the overall health system for the period 2011 to 2014. Click here to download PDF 191kb

Department of Health Annual Report 2011

Annual Report 2011 Undoubtedly, 2011 was a year of significant change in the health services. The general election brought a new Government and a new direction and policies in healthcare with a commitment to introduce Universal Health Insurance. The health system is being reformed so as to guarantee equal access to healthcare for all, achieved through a single-tier system enabling access based on need and not on ability to pay. Click here to download PDF 353kb  

Missed appointments in an adolescent outpatient clinic: descriptive analyses of consultations over 8 years.

Missed appointments represent an important medical and economical issue. Few studies on the subject are reported in the literature, particularly regarding adolescents. Our aim was to characterize missed and cancelled appointments in a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic for adolescents, to assess the effectiveness of a policy aimed at reducing missed appointments by introducing payment for those missed appointments not cancelled in advance, and to compare the rates between staff and resident physicians. A total of 32,816 consultations (representing 35 patients aged 12-20 years, 82.4% females) between 1999 and 200 were analysed. The missed appointment rate was 11.8% whilst another 10.9% were cancellations. Females cancelled more than males (11.3% vs. 8.4%, AOR 1.31, 99% CI 1.08-1.59), but there was no difference for missed appointments (11.6% vs. 12.3%, AOR 0.88, 99% CI 0.61-1.08). April and June to October (vacation months) were associated with more missed appointments. Globally mornings had higher rates of missed appointments than afternoons (13.6% vs. 11.2%, AOR 1.25, 99% CI 1.11-1.40). There was a slight difference in missed appointment rates between staff physicians and residents (10.4%; 11.8%, AOR 1.20, 99% CI 1.08-1.33). Missed appointment rates before and after the new policy on missed appointments were similar (1999-2003: 11.9%; 2004-2006: 11.6%, AOR 0.96, 99% CI 0.83-1.10). Conversely, cancellation rates increased from 8.4% (1999-2003) to 14.5% (2004-2006) (AOR 1.83, 99% CI 1.63-2.05). Attendance rates among adolescents show variations depending on vacation and school hours. Being attentive to these factors could help prevent missed appointments. Although having to pay for missed appointments does not increase attendance, it increases cancellations with the advantage that the appointment can be rescheduled.

Health In Ireland: Key Trends 2013

Health in Ireland, Key Trends 2013 provides summary statistics on health and health care over the past ten years. It also highlights selected trends and topics of growing concern and includes new data which has become available during the course of the year. An important objective is to assess ourselves and our progress in the broader EU context. The booklet is divided into six chapters ranging across population, life expectancy and health status through to health care delivery, staffing and costs. Overall, the picture which emerges is of continuing progress, but at a reduced rate, set in a context of very ignificant financial constraints. Rapid ageing of the population in conjunction with lifestyle-related health threats present major challenges now and for the future in sustaining and further improving health and health services in Ireland Click here to download PDF 3.2MB