A round-up of today's other news in brief...
Fire brigade staff allege conflict over ambulances
A SMALL number of staff from Dublin fire brigade’s ambulance service protested outside Siptu headquarters in Dublin yesterday. They say they are concerned different branches of Siptu are representing both them and HSE ambulance service personnel and allege there could be a conflict of interest in this arrangement.
All staff in the ambulance service, particularly ambulance control staff, are worried their jobs may be threatened by plans to reduce the number of ambulance control centres across the State from 10 to two. The rationalisation, which is expected to result in one control centre being located in Tallaght in Dublin and one in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, is expected to be completed by the end of next year. Fire service paramedic Bill Smith said his colleagues had heard Siptu was in negotiations with the HSE about the changes as they would apply to HSE ambulance personnel but not fire service personnel and this had prompted the protest. Another protest is due to take place outside Liberty Hall tomorrow morning.
However, Paul Bell of Siptu, who represents HSE ambulance staff, said there was no conflict of interest. “Every single job in the command and control centres, be they Dublin fire brigade or HSE, will be fought for,” he said, adding that there were no negotiations going on with the HSE about changes to ambulance control and that Siptu had to go to the Labour Relations Commission to obtain a document outlining the planned changes. He said they received the document only last week.
Guide aims to gather all ageing-related research
A NEWLY PUBLISHED guide aims to give a comprehensive overview of all research related to ageing being undertaken on the island.
A Picture of Ageing Research, published by the Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI), details research on the health, economic and social aspects of ageing, who it is being undertaken by and where it is being carried out. It looks at the major collaborative projects and profiles the academic institutions involved.
Dr Roger O’Sullivan, director of CARDI, said the publication would serve as a useful resource for politicians, policymakers and researchers, as well as others with an interest in ageing.
“The island of Ireland is an ageing society, with nearly one million people aged 60 years or older,” he said. “By 2041, the number of people aged 85 years or older will rise almost fivefold. Ageing on this scale is unprecedented and will have significant consequences from both a societal and an economic point of view.
“Research into ageing in Ireland is a relatively new phenomenon and an area which will impact on every citizen’s life. Policy, practice and resource allocation decisions must be made on the best available information,” said Dr O’Sullivan.
“It is essential that ageing research plays a part in planning for demographic change. In order to adapt, we must better understand the role of older people as citizens, consumers, carers – and increasingly as workers.”
A Picture of Ageing Research is available at cardi.ie.
Change in weather affects A&E intake
Taking the temperature outside A&E could give staff an accurate way to predict number of injuries and who will suffer them. Extreme weather can affect A&E patient numbers, say experts.
Researchers at Warwick University found that 5 degree falls or rises could make a difference to injury rates, the Emergency Medicine Journal reported.
Meanwhile, the Irish Red Cross has said it is on standby in the Republic and ready to help during extreme weather conditions.