Report to the Minister for Health and Children on Risk Equalisation in the Irish Private Health Insurance Market

Provision for risk equalisation was first made in the Health Insurance Act, 1994, section 12 of which empowered the Minister to prescribe a scheme for risk equalisation. A Risk Equalsiation Scheme was introduced in 2003. In December 2005, the Minister decided, on the Authorityâ?Ts recommendation, which referred to risks now materialising, to commence risk equalisation payments under the Scheme as from 1 January 2006, but in the event the relevant legislation was overturned by the Courts in 2008. Download document here

Department of Health (RoI)

The role of the Department of Health is to provide strategic leadership for the health service and to ensure that Government policies are translated into actions and implemented effectively.  It supports the Minister and Ministers of State in their implementation of Government policy and in discharging their governmental, parliamentary and Departmental duties. This includes: advising on the strategic development of the health system including policy and legislation; evaluating the performance of the health and social services; and working with other sectors to enhance people’s health and well-being. The health service seeks to improve the health and wellbeing of people

Assessment of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

14.10.2014 International Working Group Report on the Optimal All-Island Hospital Service for Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery for Congenital Heart Disease in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The International Working Group (IWG) visited Belfast and Dublin from April 7- April 11, 2014.  The IWG consisted of Dr. John Mayer, Dr. Adrian Moran, Dr. John Sinclair, and Dr. Patricia Hickey. Download the report here. View the Joint Policy Statement by the Minister of Health and Social Services and Public Safety Northern Ireland, Jim Wells and the Minister of Health in the Republic of Ireland, Leo Varadkar on the report here.

Foyle Haven

This is the Centre's second project with BCPP. The first project integrated the pharmacy into their support network and addressed issues important to street drinkers in a safe environment. This project will build on the previous project. It will encourage and facilitate self worth, self esteem and further encourage a sense of responsibility and confidence to access other health and support services. The pharmacist will provide information sessions, 1-1 support and training to staff and volunteers. This project will also see them linking up with the SOLACE project in Irvinestown which BCPP has also supported.

Strategy for personal and public involvement in Health and Social Care research

This report outlines the strategic need for, and benefits of, personal and public involvement to all levels of Health and Social Care Research and Development Division activity.

Joint Commissioning Plan of the Health and Social Care Board and the Public Health Agency: 2010-2011

Legislation enacted on 1 April 2009 created a new Commissioning system with the establishment of a region-wide Health and Social Care Board, including 5 Local Commissioning Groups (LCGs), and a Public Health Agency. In line with Departmental direction and guidance the objectives of the new commissioning arrangements were to: - Approach the future delivery of Health and Social Care from a region-wide perspective focused on outcomes. - Ensure local sensitivity through the creation of five Local Commissioning Groups reflective of their areas. - Give appropriate weight to the public health agenda to ensure that commissioning reflects the drive to reduce health inequalities in our society and works in partnership with others to improve health and wellbeing. In this regard the legislation signalled a new way forward which would first be expressed in a Commissioning Plan for 2010/11 and beyond. This plan outlines how the Health and Social Care Board and the Public Health Agency are approaching that task. It is our aim that this plan is straightforward and written in a manner which will encourage public engagement and understanding. We wish to show clearly how the commissioning task is to be approached and to signal the decisions necessary to ensure the maintenance of a health and social care system in Northern Ireland which responds to the population it serves.

PHA supports World Hospice and Palliative Care Day

Saturday 8 October 2011 marks World Hospice and Palliative Care Day. The Public Health Agency would like to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world by raising awareness and understanding of the needs - medical, social, practical and spiritual - of people living with a life-limiting illness, and their families.This year's World Hospice and Palliative Care Day theme is 'Many diseases, manylives, many voices - palliative care fornon-communicableconditions'.The theme will focus on how people living with conditions thatare notinfectious can benefit from palliative care.Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which include cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory conditions and diabetes, make up60% of deaths worldwide. The majority of thesedeaths occur in low and middle income countries, where palliative care is often not available. To get involved in World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, log on to www.worldday.org/get-involved/ which gives you ideas and suggestions on what you can do on the day to support people living with life-limiting illnesses, and their families.Mary Hinds, Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, PHA, and Chair of the Implementation Process for End of Life Care in Northern Ireland, said: "Good quality palliative and end of life care will be important for us all. 'Living Matters, Dying Matters' is a five year strategy for palliative and end of life care in Northern Ireland, established to ensure that any person living with a life-threatening illness lives well and dies well, irrespective of their condition or care setting. "It has been encouraging to see the plans being taken forward by the Health and Social Care Trusts in partnership with local hospices and other providers, and involving local people."We aim to ensure that people receiving palliative care, their families and carers, are provided with high quality care across all settings and conditions, and are supported to enjoy a good quality of life, maximising their potential through the course of their illness."There is still some progress to be made within the context of the review of health and social services. We are looking for statutory and voluntary services to work together to make a significant difference in improving access to high quality services for those with life-limiting conditions, and to develop innovative approaches to care."

Not in Education, Employment, or Training status among young Swiss men. Longitudinal associations with mental health and substance use.

PURPOSE: Not in Education, Employment, or Training (NEET) youth are youth disengaged from major social institutions and constitute a worrying concern. However, little is known about this subgroup of vulnerable youth. This study aimed to examine if NEET youth differ from other contemporaries in terms of personality, mental health, and substance use and to provide longitudinal examination of NEET status, testing its stability and prospective pathways with mental health and substance use. METHODS: As part of the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors, 4,758 young Swiss men in their early 20s answered questions concerning their current professional and educational status, personality, substance use, and symptomatology related to mental health. Descriptive statistics, generalized linear models for cross-sectional comparisons, and cross-lagged panel models for longitudinal associations were computed. RESULTS: NEET youth were 6.1% at baseline and 7.4% at follow-up with 1.4% being NEET at both time points. Comparisons between NEET and non-NEET youth showed significant differences in substance use and depressive symptoms only. Longitudinal associations showed that previous mental health, cannabis use, and daily smoking increased the likelihood of being NEET. Reverse causal paths were nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS: NEET status seemed to be unlikely and transient among young Swiss men, associated with differences in mental health and substance use but not in personality. Causal paths presented NEET status as a consequence of mental health and substance use rather than a cause. Additionally, this study confirmed that cannabis use and daily smoking are public health problems. Prevention programs need to focus on these vulnerable youth to avoid them being disengaged.

Insecticide and community interventions to control Triatoma dimidiata in localities of the State of Veracruz, Mexico

Three different interventions to control Triatoma dimidiata in the State of Veracruz were implemented: X-1 = whole dwelling spraying, X-2 = middle wall spraying, X-3 = household cleaning. Cyfluthrin was sprayed 3 times with 8 month intervals. After each spraying, insects were collected and sent to the laboratory to be recorded and to determine genus and species of the adult triatomine bugs, and nymphs were counted. Trypanosoma cruzi presence was determined. With X-1, the infestation, colonization, and natural infection indexes were reduced to 0% in the 3 localities, with respect to t0. With X-2, the infestation index was reduced to 10% at t3 in 3 localities; the colonization index was reduced to 0% in only 1 locality at t3, and the natural infection index was reduced to 0% at t3. With X-3 the 3 indexes were not effectively reduced but they decreased with respect to the baseline study. Insecticide application to the whole dwelling is a more efficient intervention than its application to only the lower half of the walls and to the cleaning of houses.

National Health and Lifestyle Surveys

Results of the National Health and Lifestyle Surveys: SLaN [Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition] and HBSC [Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children] Two baseline surveys of health related behaviours among adults and schoolgoing young people were carried out across the Republic of Ireland in 1998 and again in 2002. The main aims of these surveys are to: - Produce reliable data of a representative cross-section of the Irish population in order to inform the Department of Health and Children's policy and programme planning. - Maintain a survey protocol which will enable lifestyle factors to be remeasured so that trends can be identified and changes monitored to assist national and regional setting of priorities in health promotion activities. In keeping with the health and lifestyle surveillance system of many European countries a number of related factors were measured in both surveys. These include general health, smoking, use of alcohol and other substances, food and nutrition, exercise and accidents. This work was commissioned by the Health Promotion Unit, Department of Health and Children and carried out at the Centre for Health Promotion Studies, National University of Ireland, Galway.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

National Health and Lifestyle Surveys. Regional Summary Report (2003)

Two baseline surveys of health related behaviours among adults and school-going young people were carried out across the Republic of Ireland in 1998 and again in 2002. The main aims of these surveys are to: - Produce reliable data of a nationally representative cross-section of the Irish population in order to inform the Department of health and Children's policy and programme planning. - Maintain a survey protocol which will enable lifestyle factors to be re-measured so that trends can be identified and changes monitored to assist national and regional setting of priorities in health promotion activities. This report focuses on these two cross-sectional studies, SLaN (Survey of Lifestyles, Attitudes and Nutrition) adults aged 18+ years and HBSC (health Behaviour in School-aged Children) school-going children aged 10-17 years. In keeping with the health and lifestyle surveillance system of many European countries a number of related factors were measured in both surveys. These include general health, smoking, use of alcohol and other substances, food and nutrition, exercise and accidents. This report presents the findings for the same topics at a regional level with some demographic analysis. It must be noted that the aim of the survey was to establish patterns in health and lifestyle at a national level. The significance therefore of findings at the regional level is to identify potential variations that may merit further investigation. This work was commissioned by the health Promotion Unit, Department of health and Children and carried out at the Centre for health Promotion Studies, national University of Ireland, Galway, and at the Department of Public health Medicine and Epidemiology, Woodview House, Belfield, national University of Ireland, Dublin.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Does income inequality cause health and social problems?

Key points• The literature shows general agreement about a correlation between income inequality and health/social problems. • There is less agreement about whether income inequality causes health and social problems independently of other factors, but some rigorous studies have found evidence of this. • The independent effect of income inequality on health/social problems shown in some studies looks small in statistical terms. But these studies cover whole populations, and hence a significant number of lives. • Some research suggests that inequality is particularly harmful beyond a certain threshold. Britain was below this threshold in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, but rose past it in 1986–7 and has settled well above it since 1998–9. If the threshold is significant it could provide a target for policy. • Anxiety about status might explain income inequality’s effect on health and social problems. If so, inequality is harmful because it places people in a hierarchy which increases competition for status, causing stress and leading to poor health and other negative outcomes. • Not all research shows an independent effect of income inequality on health/social problems. Some highlights the role of individual income (poverty/material circumstances), culture/history, ethnicity and welfare state institutions/social policies. • The author concludes that there is a strong case for further research on income inequality and discussion of the policy implications.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Mental health and growing up factsheet. Cannabis and mental health: information for young people.

About this leaflet This is one in a series of leaflets for parents, teachers and young people entitled Mental Health and Growing Up. These leaflets aim to provide practical, up-to-date information about mental health problems (emotional, behavioural and psychiatric disorders) that can affect children and young people. This leaflet gives you some basic facts about cannabis and also how it might affect your mental health. Introduction Lots of young people want to know about drugs. Often, people around you are taking them, and you may wonder how it will make you feel. You may even feel under pressure to use drugs in order to fit in, or be â?~coolâ?T. You may have heard that cannabis is no worse than cigarettes, or that it is harmless. What is cannabis? The cannabis plant is a member of the nettle family that has grown wild throughout the world for centuries. People have used it for lots of reasons, other than the popular relaxing effect. It comes in two main forms: ï,§ resin, which is a brown black lump also known as bhang, ganja or hashish ï,§ herbal cannabis, which is made up of the dried leaves and flowering tops, and is known as grass, marijuana, spliff, weed, etc. Skunk cannabis is made from a cannabis plant that has more active chemicals in it (THC), and the effect on your brain is stronger. Because â?~streetâ?T cannabis varies so much in strength, you will not be able to tell exactly how it will make you feel at any particular time. What does it do to you? When you smoke cannabis, the active compounds reach your brain quickly through your bloodstream. It then binds/sticks to a special receptor in your brain. This causes your nerve cells to release different chemicals, and causes the effects that you feel. These effects can be enjoyable or unpleasant. Often the bad effects take longer to appear than the pleasant ones. ï,§ Good/pleasant effects: You may feel relaxed and talkative, and colours or music may seem more intense. ï,§ Unpleasant effects: Feeling sick/panicky, feeling paranoid or hearing voices, feeling depressed and unmotivated. Unfortunately, some people can find cannabis addictive and so have trouble stopping use even when they are not enjoying it. The effects on your mental health Using cannabis triggers mental health problems in people who seemed to be well before, or it can worsen any mental health problems you already have. Research has shown that people who are already at risk of developing mental health problems are more likely to start showing symptoms of mental illness if they use cannabis regularly. For example if someone in your family has depression or schizophrenia, you are at higher risk of getting these illness when you use cannabis. The younger you are when you start using it, the more you may be at risk. This is because your brain is still developing and can be more easily damaged by the active chemicals in cannabis. If you stop using cannabis once you have started to show symptoms of mental illness, such as depression, paranoia or hearing voices, these symptoms may go away. However, not everyone will get better just by stopping smoking. If you go on using cannabis, the symptoms can get worse. It can also make any treatment that your doctor might prescribe for you, work less well. Your illness may come back more quickly, and more often if you continue to use cannabis once you get well again. Some people with mental health problems find that using cannabis makes them feel a bit better for a while. Unfortunately this does not last, and it does nothing to treat the illness. In fact, it may delay you from getting help you need and the illness may get worse in the longer term. [For the full factsheet, click on the link above]This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Kilkenny Allotments and Community Gardens Association

Our aim is to provide affordable sites for growing food across the city of Kilkenny and to provide education to families, individuals and community groups around growing food. Kilkenny Local Authorities Initiative Type Community Food Growing Projects Location Kilkenny Funding Kilkenny Local Authorities Partner Agencies Carlow Kilkenny Leader Partnership Future Proof Kilkenny GIY Kilkenny Local Authorities

Tackling inequalities in life expectancy in areas with the worst health and deprivation: England

While overall health outcomes in England has improved during the last Labour administration - inequalities in health has increased, according to the latest report published by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee today. People living in the poorest communities in England are more likely to die two years earlier than people living in more affluent neighbourhoods, leading to 3,335 premature mortality the report claims. Between, 1997 and 2010, the NHS budget has doubled and the country is more prosperous than ever before, yet the gap in life expectancy between the poorest areas and the national average grew by 7% for men and 14% for women, the committee concluded.