Journalists

Uptake of MMR jab urged as third-level students are hit by outbreak of mumps 

A large outbreak of mumps has spread across three counties in the west, striking a number of third-level students.

Testing positive for HPV 'will cause feelings of stigma in some' 

THE introduction of HPV testing to the cervical screening service will have to be accompanied by information to reduce the chances of some groups of women who test positive feeling stigmatised, new research warns.

Older people who pay high medicine costs among the winners 

PRIVATE patients and older people with medical cards who have large drugs bills are among the winners in out-of-pocket savings announced in the Budget.

Dublin mother and victim of CervicalCheck scandal loses cancer battle 

A Dublin mother, who was only told in July she was a victim of the CervicalCheck scandal, lost her battle to cancer at the weekend – just hours before Emma Mhic Mhathuna passed away.

Mumps outbreak in west of Ireland with high number of cases recorded in recent weeks 

An outbreak of mumps has hit counties in the west with 45 people struck by the illness in recent weeks.

57,000 will lose their medical cards in 2018 

Around 57,000 are to lose their medical cards this year, in keeping with a trend which started in 2015.

More victims of cancer test scandal set to be found 

More women who were excluded by CervicalCheck from its internal investigations are expected to be found to have developed cancer after getting wrong test results, it emerged yesterday.

CervicalCheck's light-touch regulation and 'flawed' lookback to come under scrutiny 

Strange as it may sound, some of the 221 women at the centre of the CervicalCheck scandal regard themselves as the lucky ones.

CervicalCheck scandal: Number of women affected 'to increase', Scally warns 

The author of a report into the Irish cervical cancer screening controversy has raised fears that more women could be affected by the cancer crisis.

Schoolboys to be offered HPV vaccine next year to cut risk of virus spreading 

SCHOOLBOYS are to be offered the HPV vaccine from the beginning of the academic year in 2019.

Colder months make us more tired and sluggish — so get outdoors 

Many people feel tired and sluggish during cold months.

Death toll in CervicalCheck scandal now sits at 20 

A Dublin mother, who was only told in July she was a victim of the CervicalCheck scandal, lost her battle to cancer at the weekend - just hours before Emma Mhic Mhathúna passed away.

'Roid rage' warning: Rise in Irish men using steroids to be 'body beautiful' 

One in 10 adults would consider taking anabolic steroids, a new survey has revealed.

Comment: Emma died without ever being told why her cancer had been missed 

EMMA Mhic Mhathúna died without getting the kind of accountability she fought for.

Counselling online is among €55m package for mental health 

Mental health services are to get a €55m increase in funding in tomorrow's Budget.

Pensioners 'bore brunt' of winter flu that left 222 dead 

The elderly bore the brunt of last winter's flu which claimed 222 lives.

Abortion law will provide for '24-7' phoneline to advise women 

A medically staffed national telephone helpline will be available to women on a 24-7 basis once the new abortion legislation is in place, Health Minister Simon Harris said yesterday.

Funding in Budget to tackle GP crisis 

Talks on the GP crisis, which has forced several doctors to no longer accept new patients, are to resume next week after Health Minister Simon Harris announces a multi-million euro investment package for general practice in the Budget.

Patients still shelling out for austerity-era hidden charges 

Many patients are now paying hundreds of euro a year in health charges that were introduced or hiked during the recession years.

Promise of a one-tier health 'utopia' came crashing down 

We were sold a dream of the "Dutch model". Then the health service was going to look more like the "German model".

Pregnancy test recall after false positive cases 

Women in Ireland who may have bought a pregnancy test online have been urged to check the manufacturer and number after a popular brand was recalled following a small number of returned false positives.

Middle-aged 'most vulnerable to suicide' as self-harm on rise 

Middle-aged men and women have the country's highest rate of suicide, with the greatest risk for men in the 45-54 year age group.

Popular brand of pregnancy test recalled following number of 'false positives' 

WOMEN in Ireland who may have purchased a pregnancy test online have been urged to check the manufacturer and number after a popular brand has been recalled following a small number of returned false positives.

HSE failed to implement simple steps to ease life in nursing home 

The space between residents' beds in a HSE-run nursing home was so narrow it was not possible to fit a chair to sit on, an inspector's report revealed.

Women wait 17 weeks for their cancer test results to be returned 

The waiting time for the return of test results to women who have undergone cervical screening with CervicalCheck can be as long as 17 weeks, it emerged yesterday.

Hospitals facing another winter of 'trolley gridlock' as roll-out of new beds to 'take years' 

Fears that hospitals are facing another winter of trolley gridlock rose yesterday after it emerged it will take years to roll out hundreds of additional beds.

Knifeman at baby hospital had 'scaled the drainpipe' 

An intruder who held a young midwife at knifepoint in a Dublin maternity hospital is believed to have scaled a drainpipe and gained entry through an upstairs window.

Broadcaster Courtney to advise on Sláintecare health plan 

Fashion designer and broadcaster Brendan Courtney, who has become a strong advocate for the elderly, has been appointed to the first 23-member advisory council on Sláintecare, the blueprint for health service reform.

Anti-abortion GPs object to referring women for terminations 

A group of anti-abortion GPs who insist they do not want to be "forced" to refer a pregnant woman seeking a medical termination to another practice have appealed to Health Minister Simon Harris to "put on the brakes" and not push through the new law.

Prescription charge to be slashed again in boost for elderly and medical card holders 

The Government looks set to reduce the cost of the highly unpopular €2 prescription charge for 1.6 million medical card holders in the Budget.

Law will allow abortion even if baby could survive up to 28 days 

Termination of pregnancy in cases where a baby has a diagnosed fatal foetal abnormality and will die either "before or within 28 days of birth" will be allowed for in new abortion legislation.

A&E waits got worse last month with 8,000 on trolleys 

Nearly 8,000 patients who needed a bed were forced to wait on trolleys and chairs last month, new figures reveal.

What next for cancer scandal? 

Q: The CervicalCheck scandal is not over - what is the latest development?

Some CervicalCheck awards will be paid by the State 

Some of the future compensation costs arising out of successful legal actions brought against laboratories acting for CervicalCheck will be paid by the State.

Three day wait for medical abortion is set out in new law 

The controversial “three day” rule which will apply to women seeking a medical abortion up to twelve weeks of pregnancy is included in new legislation published today.

Blood tests for mothers-to-be cut need for screening late in pregnancy 

Pregnant women are avoiding a risk of miscarriage by using early blood test screening for Down syndrome and fatal foetal abnormality.

Row over 'bespoke' furniture and open-plan offices in new Health building costs taxpayers €15.8m 

A wrangle over "bespoke" furniture and open-plan offices helped delay a move by Department of Health staff to plush new headquarters - costing the taxpayer millions.

Cancer rates here are third highest in the world, warns WHO 

Ireland has the third highest rate of cancer in the world - ranked only behind Australia and New Zealand, according to a global report.

Doctors 'free to decide' where women will end up taking abortion medicines 

GPs and hospital doctors who are administering a medical abortion will have the freedom to decide whether to give a woman medicines on site in their surgery or clinic or allow her take them at home.

Hospital consultants threatening industrial action in row over pay 

Hospital consultants are threatening a work-to-rule which would see extra outpatient clinics curtailed.

Coombe doctor becomes first woman to head up obstetricians in 50 years 

A doctor in the Coombe maternity hospital in Dublin has become the first woman in half a century to head the organisation representing obstetricians and gynacecologits.

Stillbirths rate underestimated by third globally 

The true rate of stillbirths has been underestimated by at least a third because of recommendations to report only stillbirths from 28 weeks' gestation in international comparisons, according to the 'Lancet'.

West suffering in HSE homecare 'postcode lottery' 

The biggest waiting lists for HSE homecare are in the west of Ireland, while the national queue for the service has climbed to more than 6,100.

Abortion services need to be 'fit for purpose' to avoid CervicalCheck scandal repeat - GP 

New support systems for the extension of abortion services need to be "fit for purpose" to avoid failures seen in CervicalCheck, a leading GP has warned.

Half of us feel our mental health was damaged by the recession 

Half of Irish people say their mental health suffered due to the economic recession with hundreds of thousands driven to thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

Irish teens drinking less but still among the worst in Europe 

Teenage drinking in Ireland has fallen dramatically in recent years, according to a new European study.

Nursing home residents must be warned of any top-up fees, says Daly 

Private nursing homes have been warned they should be open about top-up charges which can add up to €5,000 a year to the cost of care.

Doctors face prison or fine if they attempt to conceal medical errors 

Health service staff who fail to tell the truth about medical errors face being fined or imprisoned under a new law, it emerged yesterday.

'Deeply frustrated' nurses move towards strike action as delegates overwhelmingly reject pay proposals 

Angry nurses today moved a step closer to strike action after 92pc of delegates at a special conference in Dublin rejected the Government’s pay proposals.

Juggling of finances makes the HSE 'black hole' hard to critique 

Spending in the HSE can be difficult to examine because of the way it juggles its finances - moving funding from one area to another during the year, according to a new paper.

Daily ordeal of elderly patients on A&E trolleys 

The scandal of hospital trolleys is revealed in new figures showing that on each day last winter more than 50 of the most elderly patients were waiting longer than 24 hours for a bed in A&E departments.

Poor communication by doctors unacceptable and can't continue: watchdog 

Almost a fifth of complaints by the public about doctors to the Medical Council relate to poor communication.

Anomaly scans will not be ready in time for abortion roll out 

It will be 2019 before all pregnant women are automatically offered an anomaly scan to find out if their baby has a fatal foetal abnormality, it emerged yesterday.

Strike threat as public sector workers lash out at €3,300 deal without back pay 

Pay rises worth €3,300 are on the way for more than 60,000 public sector workers - but it may not be enough to avoid strikes.

Concussion fears prompt parents to stop their children taking up sports 

One in four Irish parents whose children play sport has a near-constant worry their youngster will suffer concussion.

Britons make 'passport' top search on Irish site 

One of the most "searched" areas of the Citizens Information Board website relates to citizenship and passports as Britons seek an EU passport post-Brexit.

Short trip across the Border and Tom was firmly back on course 

Pensioner Tom O'Riordan, who faced a delay of at least a year before getting a desperately needed hip operation in his local hospital, was able to arrange to have the surgery within weeks by travelling to Northern Ireland.

Patients on waiting lists face losing access to healthcare scheme in North 

Patients in the Republic who are languishing on hospital waiting lists will lose out after Brexit as a vital cross-border treatment scheme becomes more difficult to access.

Less than half of all hospital workers got flu jab last winter 

Less than half of all hospital staff got the flu vaccine last winter - leaving themselves and patients at risk of the virus, new figures reveal.

Only one child with scoliosis sent to UK for surgery as 109 still wait 

Only one child in need of surgery for the severe spinal condition scoliosis has been sent abroad to the UK for an operation this year.

Medicines may not be ready when abortion law comes in 

Medicines that need to be given to women having a medical termination may not be ready for authorisation in January when the new abortion law comes in to force.

Grieving family distressed after hospital returned dead man's belongings in rubbish bag 

A grieving family who lost their father were distressed after hospital staff returned his belongings in a plastic refuse bag - with the slippers he wore when admitted on top.

Swine flu jab fears reported two years before Irish recall 

A leading medical journal has warned that serious safety "indicators" were raised over the swine flu vaccine Pandemrix in 2009 - almost two years before the vaccine was finally suspended from use in Ireland.

CervicalCheck delays return to carrying out cancer test reviews 

CervicalCheck, which has stopped auditing the screening test results of women after they are diagnosed with cervical cancer, will not resume the practice until a new system of review is in place, Health Minister Simon Harris said yesterday.

Abortions after nine weeks will have to be carried out in hospital - doctors 

Women who want a medical abortion after nine weeks of pregnancy will have to go to a hospital rather than their GP to avoid a risk of complications, it emerged yesterday.

'I don’t want cost to be a barrier' - Simon Harris confirms abortion services will be free 

Women who avail of abortions will not have to pay for the service.

Mother dying from cancer sees court case delayed as US lab denies blame 

A terminally ill young mother, who is among the women at the centre of the CervicalCheck controversy, must wait until early next year for her High Court case to continue after one of the laboratories she is suing produced an unexpected expert report, it emerged yesterday.

Many 'healthy' yoghurts are packed with sugar - and some organic varieties are among worst offenders 

The sugar content of most types of yoghurt is well above the recommended threshold, a new analysis has revealed.

Charity chief to take over €80k part-time HSE chairman role on newly-revived board 

A Dublin-born UK charity chief is to be the next chairman of the HSE.

'The recession saved my life' - construction worker explains how crash led to mouth cancer diagnosis 

Former cancer sufferer Stephen Fegan says the recession saved his life.

Patients facing a five-year wait for cataract ops 

Some patients are now waiting five years to have a cataract operation to allow them to see properly, optometrists have warned.

Arbitration to help women avoid court ordeal as cervical cancer claims rise 

The number of legal claims taken against CervicalCheck doubled in the space of just two months this summer, a new analysis has revealed.

'Typical' GP patient is taking 13 drugs 

A typical patient cared for by GPs is now in her late 60s, suffers from eight chronic illnesses and is taking 13 regular medications.

Programme to detect hearing problems 'puts babies at risk' 

The screening programme rolled out four years ago which is aimed at detecting hearing problems in all newborns is "inadequate and puts our most vulnerable at risk", according to a new study.

CervicalCheck may use test lab in Australia as women wait two months for results 

Irish women's cervical cancer screening may now have to be outsourced to a laboratory in Sydney, Australia.

€10,000 - the fee paid by the HSE to recruitment agencies for each nurse they hire 

The HSE is paying recruitment agencies a €10,000 hiring fee for every nurse it employs in a desperate new bid to fill vital hospital jobs.

Communication is a key skill that too many neglect 

Much of what goes on in the surgery between the doctor and patient remains unspoken.

Waiting lists to see specialist at record high 

The number of patients who are waiting to see a specialist has reached a new high with 514,585 people now in hospital queues across the country.

Health spending black hole threatens Budget giveaway 

The public's expectation of a 'giveaway' Budget has been dashed by a €600m black hole in spending by the Department of Health.

Anorexic patients 'sabotage weigh-ins' to falsely elevate what is shown on the scales 

Anorexic patients use sabotaging tactics, including wearing hair accessories, to falsely add to their weight, a study found.

CervicalCheck has not inspected test labs for four years - says Scally report 

CervicalCheck has not carried out any of its own inspections of the laboratories doing cervical screening for four years.

'I hope some people will eat humble pie' - Vicky Phelan on the Scally report 

Vicky Phelan, who exposed the cervical cancer scandal, said she was “vindicated” following the publication of the Scally report.

Screening service didn't know that lab outsourced its tests to Hawaii 

CervicalCheck only found out weeks ago that hundreds of Irish women's smear tests were outsourced to Hawaii, Las Vegas and Florida.

New booster jab will leave elderly without protection against deadly Japanese flu 

Older people who may opt for a new 'booster' flu jab aimed at the over-65s have been warned it leaves them unprotected against the so-called Japanese strain which was dominant in Ireland last year.

'Bordered on misogynism' - doctor behind scathing CervicalCheck scandal report says 'someone should say sorry' 

Women battling cancer were subjected to a string of damaging, hurtful and offensive behaviours by some doctors in the cervical cancer scandal.

CervicalCheck did not know Irish women's tests were sent for screening to Las Vegas 

A lab used by CervicalCheck in Texas up to 2013 out-sourced tests to Las Vegas, Hawaii and Florida without telling the HSE, the Scally report revealed today.

Consultants warn of industrial action over huge pay gap for newer recruits 

Hospital consultants are threatening to take industrial action in an unprecedented move over pay.

Eilish O'Regan: Report raises issues but victims still wait to learn who failed them 

The first steps in the search for truth in the CervicalCheck scandal have been taken in the damning report by Dr Gabriel Scally.

'I knew there would be no accountability' - CervicalCheck victims' 'heartbreak' as damning report details litany of failures 

Victims of the CervicalCheck scandal have been let down by a litany of systematic failures, a damning report has revealed.

'A whitewash' - Women and families 'heartbroken' by latest CervicalCheck 'betrayal' by Government 

WOMEN and families of victims of the CervicalCheck scandal have reacted with anger after the leaking to media of parts of a report into the affair.

Fair Deal residents to be given bonus for renting homes under plan to ease housing crisis 

Residents of nursing homes who have a house lying unoccupied would be offered financial incentives to rent it out under a plan being considered to ease the housing crisis.

'We can't go on like this' - nurses protest at conditions 

Nurses and midwives have begun a series of protests about overcrowding and lack of staff at hospitals across the country.

Talks to extend cancer screening service deal are at 'critical stage' 

Talks between CervicalCheck and the laboratories carrying out screening have reached a "critical stage", a spokeswoman for the HSE has said.

FF wants pathway to €200m pay rises for teachers, nurses 

Fianna Fáil will demand a timeline for pay rises worth up to €200m for more than 60,000 recent recruits to the public service during upcoming Budget negotiations.

CervicalCheck report to criticise failure to tell women of audits 

A report on the CervicalCheck scandal is expected to be strongly critical of the delay in informing women who developed cervical cancer about internal audits confirming their test results were wrong.

€6m care centre fails to attract a single GP to new 'one-stop shop' 

A €6M primary care centre, officially opened by Health Minister Simon Harris this week, is one of several "one-stop shop" facilities that is struggling to get a GP.

CervicalCheck victims to get briefing on Scally report 

Women at the centre of the CervicalCheck scandal and bereaved relatives are to be briefed on the findings of the report of Dr Gabriel Scally next week.

Maternity hospital to be delayed by a year 

The new €300m National Maternity Hospital will not be completed until well into 2023, a year later than anticipated.

'Our hospitals will be war zones once winter comes' - nurses' warning about A&E chaos 

Hospital emergency departments are not prepared for the threat of another winter of record overcrowding and are at risk of becoming "war zones" within weeks, nurses have warned.

Older people should 'use it or lose it' and 'hold onto what you have' to slow down ageing process - GAA All Star 

Older people need to ‘use it or lose it’ and ‘hold onto what they have’ in order slow down the ageing process and stay mentally sharp, according to three times All Ireland football medallist and All Star Donnchadh Walsh.

How routine procedure led to tragic loss of life and bitter stand-off over hospital review 

A young couple's dreams of the future were shattered within hours on a sunny day in Dublin two years ago.

Experts from UK to carry out probe into Malak's death 

Obstetricians from outside Ireland are to be asked to conduct an external probe into the circumstances around the death of Malak Thawley in the National Maternity Hospital.

Overhaul is needed to avoid pain suffered by husband Alan 

Figures showing that maternal deaths in the US are seven times higher than in Ireland have led to strong claims for the safety of maternity care here.

CervicalCheck in talks over extending laboratory contracts 

CervicalCheck is in talks with the three laboratories it uses in Ireland and the US to extend their contracts when they are up for renewal from next month, it has emerged.

Psychiatric patients locked out of bedrooms until 10pm at night due to staff shortages 

Patients in a hospital psychiatric unit did not have access to their bedrooms under 10pm at night due to staff shortages, an inspector’s report has revealed.