'Beggars belief' HHC available without restrictions
Professor Bobby Smyth, chair of the Addiction Faculty at the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland, calls on the State to ban HHC products in vapes.
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RTÉ News
6 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Tóibín calls for Harris to resign over handling of boy's scoliosis case
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has called for Tánaiste Simon Harris to resign over the handling of the case of Harvey Morrison Sherratt. Nine-year-old Harvey, from Clondalkin in Dublin, died on 29 July and had spina bifida and scoliosis. He had been subject to delays in accessing urgent scoliosis surgery. Harvey's mother said last week that they did not currently have a cause of death. Last year, Harvey's parents Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison, said that Harvey had been removed from a Children's Health Ireland (CHI) waiting list for urgent scoliosis surgery without their consent or knowledge. Harvey received spinal surgery in November last year after being first placed on the waiting list in February 2022. Mr Tóibín wrote to the Cathaoirleach of the Oireachtas Committee on Health, calling for it to be reconvened immediately and for Mr Harris to appear before it. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Tóibín said Mr Harris failed to keep a promised he made as minister for health in 2017 that no child would be waiting for longer than four months for scoliosis surgery. "It's a disaster for any parent to lose their child but the circumstances surrounding Harvey's death are particularly heartbreaking given all he had to endure in his short life. "It's very important in this country that we have some level of accountability and responsibility as well. "When Simon Harris was minister for health, he promised in 2017 that no child would be left waiting for longer than four months for scoliosis surgery - that's a promise he failed to keep. "In his own words, he says 'we don't need ministers to defend the indefensible', he said the waiting lists were indefensible. "And yet we have a situation where Harvey had to spend 33 months on a scoliosis waiting list before he got his surgery. "He was promised surgery back in 2022, he was meant to have it '23, it was cancelled abruptly and then a year ago Harvey's family found out that he was actually removed from the Children's Health Ireland waiting list without their knowledge." A spokesperson for Mr Harris said that when Harvey's case was raised first with the Tánaiste, his office immediately contacted the Department of Health and the HSE and asked for immediate clinical attention. "The Tánaiste expresses his deepest condolences to the family, as he did when he was asked about this matter on Monday," the spokesperson said. "When this issue was brought to his attention during his time as Taoiseach, his overriding focus was making sure that the proper clinical interventions and consultations were made available. "He was informed an additional clinical assessment did then take place and surgery was subsequently scheduled." He added that Mr Harris expects and "has been assured" that the Department of Health, the HSE and CHI will be available to support and engage with the family.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
14% increase in seizures of illegal and counterfeit medicines
Clip • 4 Mins • 11 AUG • Morning Ireland Tom Murray, President of the Irish Pharmacy Union, discusses the rising use of illegal medicines.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- RTÉ News
People urged not to buy medicines from unverified websites
The public should not buy medicines from unverified websites, the Irish Pharmacy Union has warned. The IPU said purchasing counterfeit medicine could pose serious risks to a person's health. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, President of the IPU Tom Murray said any medicine being sold from an unverified source should be of "particular concern" because a person does not know what is in the medicine. He added that some "drugs can contain nothing" and others can contain toxic ingredients. Mr Murray said that the most popular counterfeit drugs are Botox and weight loss or diabetes treatments, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro. He said that there were over 1,700 units of Botox seized last year by the Health Products Regulatory Authority. He also warned that unverified websites could be offering incorrect information or advice. Mr Murray said that Ireland has a highly regulated supply system which "guarantees the efficiency and safety of medicines". He added that the only place to buy medicine safely is through pharmacies. The HPRA found
