Long waits and poor performance at Drogheda emergency department, watchdog finds
Demand exceeds inpatient and emergency department capacity at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Hiqa finds
Hospitals
Ageing population takes its toll on Ireland’s health system
With the proportion of elderly people increasing as the population rises, how will the country cope with the health implications of these changing demographics?
Palliative care: ‘I’ve had a good life.. a lot to be grateful for. But I’d still rather live’
At the Harold’s Cross facility, palliative care teams a help patients through the final stages of their lives by treating their pain and surrounding them with kindness
The ‘inpatients’ at home on a virtual ward: “The nurse was on to me in jig time: ‘Have you died or what?’”
Since its launch earlier this summer, the new service offering hospital care in the comfort of patients’ homes has been used by over 100 people
We know that inducing labour early is safe for babies. But is it better for the mum?
Recent study on low-risk first-time mothers induced at 39 weeks who returned home to wait for labour to start criticised by researchers seeking improvements to services
More than a third of patients malnourished when being admitted to hospitals in Ireland
Call for malnutrition screening to be expanded to other clinical settings such as in outpatients, daycare and primary care settings, particularly for cancer patients and older people
Health budgets will have to keep pace with demand as population grows and ages, doctors warn
IMO welcomes the substantial increase in hospital bed numbers announced by Government but argues more will be needed
Almost 3,000 new inpatient hospital beds to be delivered by 2031, says Donnelly
Shortage of beds leading to overcrowding problems experienced in hospitals such as Limerick, unions says
Almost 240 patients died in UHL emergency department over past five years
Figures emerge amid increased scrutiny of hospital’s safety record following Aoife Johnston case
HSE management and admin appointments outpacing clinical staff hires, says DPER
Numbers in management and administrative grades have grown by a third in recent years, DPER warned Department of Health
More than 699,000 people on some form of hospital waiting list at end of April
Almost 470,000 have had to wait longer than Sláintecare targets of 10 or 12 weeks
Community care programme leading to ‘very significant’ improvements in waiting lists
HSE sees 16% reduction in hospital admissions for those with chronic diseases in the five years to 2023
HSE to start trialling new health app by next month
App will not cover voluntary hospitals due to challenges around data sharing, board members told
Patient access to diagnostic scans restricted as demand ‘far exceeds’ funding
Almost 80% of allocation for hospital scans was used up in first two months of year
Limerick landmark Barrington’s hospital for sale at €12.5m
Built originally on behalf of the Barrington family, the George’s Quay property has been in medical use for close to 200 years
Orla Tinsley: Competing to stay alive should not be our reality, but it is
How can we move towards an idea of community rather than competition for care?
Could patients be seen by hospital consultants in their own homes?
A hospital consultant explains how health professionals can deliver hospital-level care in people’s homes with the help of digital diagnostic and monitoring devices
Poll analysis: Housing and immigration are making the headlines, but other topics are becoming more prominent
After peaking at 24% in January, mentions of immigration have declined month-on-month, falling to 12% in the latest poll
Neonatal project allowed ‘to slip into abeyance . . . not by an active decision but through neglect and apathy’
Dr Ann Hickey this month told management of Children’s Health Ireland she could no longer continue as neonatology lead due to inaction on outdated systems of care
Billions in extra health funding not leading to higher activity in hospitals, report finds
New report published along with plan to achieve savings of about €550m and boost productivity in health sector
Patients and staff enduring ‘pretty awful conditions’ in some EDs, says HSE chief
Demand for services in EDs rose 12% in early part of year
Consultants criticise lack of commitment to open more hospital beds in HSE plan
National service plan for 2024 states cost of running services will exceed available funding
Orla Tinsley: 26 ways you can organise your hospital space to make it safe and soothing
Don’t let healthcare surroundings determine how you feel. Make the space your own with a few home comforts and items of self-care
Parents of babies who died in hospital to petition Taoiseach for commission of investigation
Safer Births Ireland claims more than 40 baby deaths over last 10 years require urgent review
Murder accused who killed neighbour with machete ‘not feigning’ when he said he was Moses, court hears
Accused allegedly sought psychiatric treatment day before killing but was turned away due to Covid restrictions
Slow-building crisis in North’s health system keeps excess deaths ‘off the radar’, says senior doctor
Emergency medicine consultant Russell McLaughlin draws a comparison with lives lost at the height of the Troubles to illustrate the crisis facing Northern Ireland’s health service
Reinstated Kerry consultant returns to work after three weeks
Radiologist Dr Martin Schranz said he was ‘happy out’ after agreement reached to allow him to return to University Hospital Kerry
‘Mundane, repetitive tasks’ should be performed by nurses, not junior doctors, says Medical Council
Medical Council says 2016 deal to transfer common tasks to nurses has not been implemented
Minister warns rise in flu and Covid cases will increase pressure on hospitals
Stephen Donnelly says there were 80 per cent fewer patients waiting on trolleys over Christmas weekend, compared to same period in 2022
Letterkenny hospital tells staff not to ask patients to lie on floor after man suffers injuries
Directive comes in wake of incident in which man injured after falling twice in the emergency department
Orla Tinsley: The health system is not meeting its patients’ needs
I bought a commode that the HSE should have provided. I paid for the hand railing the HSE should have provided
Orla Tinsley: ‘The chart, to my horror, says I am on 10mg. But I’m on 7.5mg. And the voice had given me 20mg’
There must be accountability, and removal and retraining of staff who create danger for patients in their care
Letterkenny patients’ lives under ‘immediate threat’, doctors warn
Donegal hospital facing ‘death by a thousand cuts’, according to letter from almost 30 consultants
Industrial action to start at Limerick hospital
Nurses at St John’s Hospital due to start work to rule at 8am on Thursday
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