Latest news with #HealthServiceExecutive
The Journal
a day ago
- Health
- The Journal
Drugs strategy review finds staff shortages and service disruption
CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised around access to drug treatment services and prevention efforts, according to an independent evaluation of the Government's drug strategy. Rural areas, young people and marginalised groups are reported as being 'disproportionately affected' by service discrepancies. Meanwhile, the review found that annual funding arrangements and restrictive hiring policies have contributed to staff shortages and disruptions in service delivery. The National Drug Strategy (NDS) is set out as a national framework for addressing substance use through a 'whole-of-government, person-centred, and health-led' approach that primarily frames substance use as a public health issue. An independent review of the strategy, published today, found that several stakeholders also believe prevention efforts are underdeveloped, inconsistent and lacking national ownership. The report compiled by Grant Thornton notes some progress and achievements but makes 10 recommendations for the future direction of the strategy. The authors consulted with the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Health Research Board (HRB), members of the National Oversight Committee (NOC) and Strategic Implementation Groups (SIG) for the NDS, as well as service users and family members with lived experience of drug use. Based on those engagements, it found that equity of access continues to be a concern, particularly for marginalised groups. Prevention and early intervention efforts were found to be fragmented and inconsistently delivered, while recovery and service user involvement requires further formalisation and resourcing. Additionally, the limited integration of alcohol policy and the 'gradual implementation of legal reforms', such as alternative sanctions, were identified as areas requiring strategic refinement. Meanwhile, governance structures were found to lack clearly defined roles, mandates, and accountability mechanisms. Stakeholders highlighted the need for strong national leadership, enhanced co-ordination across departments, and more inclusive decision-making processes that incorporate lived experience of service users. Advertisement There were also calls for enhanced data integration and the establishment of a national research and evaluation centre. The report also details claims of inconsistent reporting from all treatment providers which is further constraining the ability to assess the strategy's effectiveness. Stakeholders reported that high attrition rates have been observed in different regions due to factors including limited funding. There were repeated calls by some stakeholders for multi-annual funding commitments and targeted workforce investment to support more consistent and sustainable service provision. Prevention efforts were widely viewed as 'under-resourced and lacking strategic focus'. There was an emphasis on the need for early, community-based interventions that address root causes, such as trauma, poverty, and social disadvantage. Evidence shows that early life experiences significantly influence later substance use. The SPHE programme in schools was repeatedly cited for its inconsistent delivery. Many stakeholders also felt that the NDS lacked clarity and strategic direction regarding alcohol addiction. The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said it is 'essential' to assess how the more than 300 million euro in annual public expenditure on drugs delivers impact. She said: 'The establishment of new HSE health regions presents a valuable opportunity to tailor drug treatment services to population needs and to ensure that both existing and new funding is allocated effectively and transparently.' Meanwhile, Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, said: 'We have made significant progress in implementing the national drugs strategy, and I'm pleased that the independent evaluation documents the many achievements over the last eight years.' She added: 'The recommendations from the independent evaluation will inform the development of the successor National Drugs Strategy. We need to move forward with new policies and better services to address the ever-changing drugs situation.'
Irish Times
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Twenty new beds to tackle 33% rise in eating disorder referrals
A total of 20 new specialist eating disorder beds will be opened around the country, under new plans being devised by the Health Service Executive to cope with growing demand for services. More than 500 people in Ireland were diagnosed with an eating disorder last year – more than 100 cases more than in 2023. There were also 894 referrals for treatment, up 33 per cent on the previous year. Currently, the State has just three public inpatient eating disorder beds for adults who are acutely unwell, all of which are in St Vincent's hospital in Dublin. To be treated in these beds, patients are required to fall within the catchment area of the hospital. People with eating disorders outside of this catchment order who go into public hospitals for treatment are typically referred to a general psychiatric unit, where they often are unable to access specialised care. READ MORE The HSE has begun a review of the model of care for eating disorders on a phased basis. Its first report on future eating disorder bed provision has been finalised and was recently submitted to the Minister for Health. The Irish Times understands that the plan sets out a need for between eight and 10 specialist beds in Dublin, as well as between 10 and 12 specialist beds outside of the capital, with a national spread. All of these beds will have a national catchment area. Under the proposals, these beds will be specialised for eating disorder treatment. However as demand for such services ebbs and flows, they will also be used for other psychiatric illnesses, The Irish Times understands. These beds will mostly be new provision in new units, with their establishment to take place over a number of years. However, there is potential for interim plans to increase provision until the planned number is up and running. This is not the first time such a move was proposed. Under the previous model of care, an additional 20 eating disorder beds were to be opened between 2018 and 2023, however no funding was allocated and the beds were never opened. Harriet Parsons, chief executive of BodyWhys, the national eating disorder association, says in recent years work has been on developing the community services, but inpatient beds are also required – particularly outside of Dublin. 'We need to make sure that geographical spread is there so that it doesn't matter where you are in the country, you will have access to the same kind of services,' she said. 'People who require inpatient care, they are acutely unwell. They don't come out of hospital better; they come out of hospital well enough to start the real process of getting better in the community.' She added: 'You don't want to have a huge difference between that inpatient stay and going out [into the community]. It is much more likely they will struggle to improve. That is the story that is repeated over and over again.' Meanwhile, a recent report from the Health Research Board found eating disorders were the main reason why children were admitted to psychiatric hospitals and units last year for the second year in a row. Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of children admitted had a primary diagnosis of an eating disorder, up from 24 per cent the previous year. There has been a gradual increase in the percentage of child admissions being linked to eating disorders, rising from 18 per cent in 2020 to 26 per cent last year. The researchers conducted a 'census night' on December 31st, 2024, which found there were 52 patients in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services , of whom 38 per cent had an eating disorder.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Drugs strategy review finds staff shortages and disruption as charity urges Government not to abandon alcohol labelling
Rural areas, young people and marginalised groups are reported as being "disproportionately affected" by service discrepancies. Meanwhile, the review found that annual funding arrangements and restrictive hiring policies have contributed to staff shortages and disruptions in service delivery. The National Drug Strategy (NDS) is set out as a national framework for addressing substance use through a "whole-of-government, person-centred, and health-led" approach that primarily frames substance use as a public health issue. An independent review of the strategy, published on Monday, found that several stakeholders also believe prevention efforts are underdeveloped, inconsistent and lacking national ownership. The report compiled by Grant Thornton notes some progress and achievements but makes 10 recommendations for the future direction of the strategy. The authors consulted with the Health Service Executive (HSE), the Health Research Board (HRB), members of the National Oversight Committee (NOC) and Strategic Implementation Groups (SIG) for the NDS, as well as service users and family members with lived experience of drug use. Based on those engagements, it found that equity of access continues to be a concern, particularly for marginalised groups. Prevention and early intervention efforts were found to be fragmented and inconsistently delivered, while recovery and service user involvement requires further formalisation and resourcing. Additionally, the limited integration of alcohol policy and the "gradual implementation of legal reforms", such as alternative sanctions, were identified as areas requiring strategic refinement. Meanwhile, governance structures were found to lack clearly defined roles, mandates, and accountability mechanisms. ADVERTISEMENT Stakeholders highlighted the need for strong national leadership, enhanced co-ordination across departments, and more inclusive decision-making processes that incorporate lived experience of service users. There were also calls for enhanced data integration and the establishment of a national research and evaluation centre. The report also details claims of inconsistent reporting from all treatment providers which is further constraining the ability to assess the strategy's effectiveness. Stakeholders reported that high attrition rates have been observed in different regions due to factors including limited funding. There were repeated calls by some stakeholders for multi-annual funding commitments and targeted workforce investment to support more consistent and sustainable service provision. Prevention efforts were widely viewed as "under-resourced and lacking strategic focus". There was an emphasis on the need for early, community-based interventions that address root causes, such as trauma, poverty, and social disadvantage. Evidence shows that early life experiences significantly influence later substance use. The SPHE programme in schools was repeatedly cited for its inconsistent delivery. Many stakeholders also felt that the NDS lacked clarity and strategic direction regarding alcohol addiction. The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said it is "essential" to assess how the more than 300 million euro in annual public expenditure on drugs delivers impact. She said: "The establishment of new HSE health regions presents a valuable opportunity to tailor drug treatment services to population needs and to ensure that both existing and new funding is allocated effectively and transparently." Meanwhile, Minister of State with responsibility for the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, said: "We have made significant progress in implementing the national drugs strategy, and I'm pleased that the independent evaluation documents the many achievements over the last eight years." She added: "The recommendations from the independent evaluation will inform the development of the successor National Drugs Strategy. We need to move forward with new policies and better services to address the ever-changing drugs situation." Alcohol Action Ireland welcomed the publication of the independent evaluation. Data included in the report shows that alcohol remains Ireland's largest drug problem by far. 73pc of the population currently consume alcohol compared with 7.3pc using any illegal drugs. While there has been some reduction in the level of alcohol use by children, the report also points to high levels of hazardous and binge drinking by international standards particularly among men, the charity said. The report also notes the high level of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the population with 20pc of drinkers having an AUD – approximately 600,000 people in Ireland. AAI's CEO, Dr Sheila Gilheany said: "Alcohol is Ireland's largest drug problem with health impacts on individuals including cancer, heart disease and liver disease as well serious mental problems such as depression, anxiety, addiction and tragically also suicide. "There are also many issues for families, particularly for the hundreds of thousands of children growing up with alcohol harm in the home – a trauma which can last a lifetime. "Alcohol also places a heavy burden on the State with costs of at least €12 billion annually arising from health, justice and loss of workplace productivity. "Despite these well recognised issues, alcohol policy in Ireland remains disjointed and often contradictory with some government departments seeking to enhance alcohol consumption through supports for the alcohol industry and pushing back against the well-evidenced measures from the Department of Health. "Never has this been clearer than in the past few weeks with some cabinet ministers putting extreme pressure on the Minister for Health to delay the long-planned for introduction of alcohol health information labelling. "Often using spurious arguments from the alcohol industry while pointing to the modest improvements in some aspects of alcohol consumption as a reason to abandon the well-evidenced policies rather than strengthening these policies. "Abandoning labelling at this point would be particularly shocking and foolish, given the labels are already appearing on multiple products in shops across Ireland. Multiple health organisations, clinicians and advocates across Ireland and internationally have contacted the Minister and the Taoiseach in recent weeks to express their alarm at any such derailment of what is long settled policy.'
Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Health
- Irish Examiner
HSE has no burial records for 80 mother and baby home children who died at Galway hospital
The Health Service Executive has said it has no burial records for the 80 children who died at Galway hospital having been admitted from the Tuam mother and baby home during its operation. Research uncovered by local history Catherine Corless in 2014, showed there are death certificates for 796 children who died in the Bons Secours Catholic-run home between 1925 and 1961. A Commission of Inquiry which was established following the emergence of the scandal also found a further 80 children died in the former Galway Central hospital after being admitted from the Tuam home. Ms Corless could not find any burial records for the children in Tuam and test excavations at the former grounds of the institutions for unmarried mothers in 2016 found a 'significant quantity of human remains' in a disused sewage tank. The country's first ever mass grave exhumation began at the site on July 14 and is expected to take at least two years. The Irish Examiner requested information on the remainder of the children who died when they were moved from Tuam to Galway hospital and other surrounding hospitals — or were born there as a result of complications in pregnancy. The Commission's findings show 80 children died in the Galway Central hospital, eight children died in other hospitals and a further 80 died in the Glenadmaddy institution that preceded the Tuam home. The HSE North West said: 'There are no documented process for the burial of babies historically. The only known practice for the burial of babies by the hospital is that they would have been buried in Bothermore Cemetery, in the area known as the Plot of the Angels. 'Regrettably the hospital burial records are incomplete as the significance of this was not fully appreciated until more recent years.' 'I don't know what happened to him' One of the 80 children who died while in Galway Central hospital is 94-year-old Christina Tully's son Michael who was stillborn following a complex breech delivery. Ms Tully, who is from Loughrea, was 18 at the time. She said: 'I never saw him, they just said, 'the baby has died' and that was it. 'I have prayed for him all my life but I don't know what happened to him. His father was not the marrying type but I had a second baby with him and he was taken and adopted. I wanted to keep both of the boys." Patrick Naughton who was born Christopher Tully after his brother and adopted by the nuns, found his mother Ms Tully more than a decade ago and they have tried to locate Michael's place of burial or whereabouts ever since. 'With all the forced adoptions and the question mark over falsifications of deaths certs Michael could be alive and the closer my mother comes to death the more she has to face two dilemmas — he is either in the mass grave somewhere or adopted illegally," said Mr Naughton. "It is utterly unacceptable that the hospital has no records for these children." Ms Tully requested information from Galway hospital about her son's death but there is only one record in existence that states 'return to the Tuam home'. 'That could mean anything, those words have tortured me', she explained. 'And now the hospital says they have no records at all. So where is my child will I ever find out?'
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Boil water noticed in Cork affecting almost 4,700 customers
Corkman A boil water notice has been issued in Macroom following a combination of elevated levels of turbidity and operational issues at the treatment plant. Approximately 4,697 customers are impacted by the notice. Following a consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), Uisce Éireann issued the notice to protect the health of residents, and they said works to lift the notice is their priority. Brian O'Leary, Uisce Éireann Regional Operations Manager, said: 'We acknowledge the frustration felt by the local community and the significant inconvenience that customers on this supply have experienced in recent years and would like to reassure those impacted that we are working as quickly and efficiently as possible to complete these vital upgrade works.' Uisce Éireann added that the presence of turbidity in the incoming raw water is largely influenced by seasonal changes in Irish weather and given the limitations of the existing water treatment plant and pump station. Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Éireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled. Water must be boiled for: drinking; brushing teeth; drinks made with water; during the preparation of foods as well as making ice. Affected customers can use the water for personal hygiene except brushing teeth. Customers can check if their property is included by visiting and entering the property's Eircode or by calling the Uisce Éireann customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278. Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children. Updates will be made available via on X (formerly Twitter) and the customer care helpline on 1800 278 278.
