IPH response to NI Health and Social Care Board 'Tranforming Your Care' consultation

The 'Transforming Your Care (TYC)' consultation relates to proposals for changes in the delivery of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland in the context of the TYC report published in December 2011. TYC is about making changes to ensure safe, high quality and sustainable services for patients, service users and staff. TYC sets out proposals in respect of how health and social services will need to adapt and be organised to best meet the needs associated with population ageing, increasing long-term conditions and other challenges. Key points from IPH response include: IPH welcomes the HSC commitment to transform health and social care services to meet Northern Ireland’s changing population health needs Inequalities are a dominant feature of health service utilisation patterns in Northern Ireland – for example hospital admission rates for self-harm and alcohol-related admissions in the most deprived areas are double the regional figure. IPH recommends that

IPH response to Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency Community Development Strategy

The Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) and the Public Health Agency (PHA) launched a new Community Development Strategy for public consultation.  The HSCB and PHA want to see strong, resilient communities where everyone has good health and wellbeing, places where people look out for each other and have community pride in where they live. The HSCB and PHA seek a number of benefits from implementing this strategy including; a reduction in health and wellbeing inequalities, which also means addressing the social factors that affect health; strengthening partnership working with service users, the community and voluntary sectors and other organisations; strengthening families and communities; supporting volunteering and making best use of our resources. Key points from the IPH summary include IPH welcome the Community Development Strategy as an approach to enhance health and wellbeing and tackle health inequalities in Northern Ireland.   IPH recommend the current three strategy documents (Full and summary versions and the Performance Management Framework) are merged into one document for greater clarity. Reference to the Performance Management Framework is required in the main body of the text is to ensure good practice is implemented. IPH welcome the focus on tackling health inequalities using community development approaches however the contribution of community development approaches needs to be highlighted. HIA is a tool to support community engagement and provides a mechanism for HSCB and PHA to support the implementation of this strategy.

The Implamentation and Evaluation of a Framework Supporting Effective First Contact Care across the Southern Health & Social Services Board (PDF 278 KB)

Interim report on the Southern Health and Social Services Board's Community Nursing Strategy Pilot Project

Extreme Precipitation Modelling Using Geostatistics and Machine Learning Algorithms

The paper presents an approach for mapping of precipitation data. The main goal is to perform spatial predictions and simulations of precipitation fields using geostatistical methods (ordinary kriging, kriging with external drift) as well as machine learning algorithms (neural networks). More practically, the objective is to reproduce simultaneously both the spatial patterns and the extreme values. This objective is best reached by models integrating geostatistics and machine learning algorithms. To demonstrate how such models work, two case studies have been considered: first, a 2-day accumulation of heavy precipitation and second, a 6-day accumulation of extreme orographic precipitation. The first example is used to compare the performance of two optimization algorithms (conjugate gradients and Levenberg-Marquardt) of a neural network for the reproduction of extreme values. Hybrid models, which combine geostatistical and machine learning algorithms, are also treated in this context. The second dataset is used to analyze the contribution of radar Doppler imagery when used as external drift or as input in the models (kriging with external drift and neural networks). Model assessment is carried out by comparing independent validation errors as well as analyzing data patterns.

Cinéma, machine à mondes : essai sur les films à univers multiples

Dans cet ouvrage, l'auteur propose une conceptualisation théorique de la coprésence en un même film de mondes multiples en abordant différents paramètres (hétérogénéité de la facture de l'image, pratiques du montage alterné, typologie des enchâssements, expansion sérielle, etc.) sur la base d'un corpus de films de fiction récents qui appartiennent pour la plupart au genre de la science-fiction (Matrix, Dark City, Avalon, Resident Evil, Avatar,...). Issue de la filmologie, la notion de « diégèse » y est développée à la fois dans le potentiel d'autonomisation dont témoigne la conception mondaine qui semble dominer aujourd'hui à l'ère des jeux vidéo, dans ses liens avec le récit et dans une perspective intermédiale. Les films discutés ont la particularité de mettre en scène des machines permettant aux personnages de passer d'un monde à l'autre : les modes de figuration de ces technologies sont investigués en lien avec les imaginaires du dispositif cinématographique et les potentialité du montage. La comparaison entre les films (Tron et son récent sequel, Totall Recall et son remake) et entre des oeuvres filmiques et littéraires (en particulier les nouvelles de Philip K. Dick et Simlacron 3 de Galouye) constitue un outil d'analyse permettant de saisir la contemporanéité de cette problématique, envisagée sur le plan esthétique dans le contexte de l'imagerie numérique.

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

Review Of The Circumstances Surrounding The Elapse Of Time In Bringing To Completion The Western Health Board Inquiry Into Allegations Of Abuse In The Brothers Of Charity Services, Galway

Review Of The CircumstancesSurrounding The Elapse Of TimeIn Bringing To CompletionThe Western Health Board Inquiry IntoAllegations Of Abuse In The BrothersOf Charity Services, Galway Click here to download PDF 104kb

Machine learning algorithms for spatial data. Case studies: Environmental pollution, natural hazards, renewable resources

This paper presents general problems and approaches for the spatial data analysis using machine learning algorithms. Machine learning is a very powerful approach to adaptive data analysis, modelling and visualisation. The key feature of the machine learning algorithms is that they learn from empirical data and can be used in cases when the modelled environmental phenomena are hidden, nonlinear, noisy and highly variable in space and in time. Most of the machines learning algorithms are universal and adaptive modelling tools developed to solve basic problems of learning from data: classification/pattern recognition, regression/mapping and probability density modelling. In the present report some of the widely used machine learning algorithms, namely artificial neural networks (ANN) of different architectures and Support Vector Machines (SVM), are adapted to the problems of the analysis and modelling of geo-spatial data. Machine learning algorithms have an important advantage over traditional models of spatial statistics when problems are considered in a high dimensional geo-feature spaces, when the dimension of space exceeds 5. Such features are usually generated, for example, from digital elevation models, remote sensing images, etc. An important extension of models concerns considering of real space constrains like geomorphology, networks, and other natural structures. Recent developments in semi-supervised learning can improve modelling of environmental phenomena taking into account on geo-manifolds. An important part of the study deals with the analysis of relevant variables and models' inputs. This problem is approached by using different feature selection/feature extraction nonlinear tools. To demonstrate the application of machine learning algorithms several interesting case studies are considered: digital soil mapping using SVM, automatic mapping of soil and water system pollution using ANN; natural hazards risk analysis (avalanches, landslides), assessments of renewable resources (wind fields) with SVM and ANN models, etc. The dimensionality of spaces considered varies from 2 to more than 30. Figures 1, 2, 3 demonstrate some results of the studies and their outputs. Finally, the results of environmental mapping are discussed and compared with traditional models of geostatistics.

Review of Roles & Responsibilities of the Food Safety Promotion Board (FSPB/SafeFood)

The Department carried out a review during 2012 on FSPB’s work in the food safety, diet and nutrition areas. This review, approved by the Minister on 25 January 2013, provides a summary of the responses received and recommendations made. Click here to download   PDF 63KB  

National Paediatric Hospital Development Board - Design Team Procurement

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board invited interested parties to a presentation introducing the Design Team Tendering Process on Monday 25 November. The presentation sets out the indicative details relating to the new children's hospital which is planned for the St James campus. Click here to download PDF 5.52MB  

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.