ireland.com - The Irish Times

Row escalates over medical insurance cover
DISPUTE: In a major escalation of the row over medical insurance cover for doctors, one of the main medical defence organisations has accused its counterpart of "holding a gun to the head of both the Department of Health and the medical profession", writes Dr Muiris Houston , Medical CorrespondentDispute p

Neurology patients 'losing out'
HOSPITAL PRESSURE: Intense pressure on the accident and emergency unit of Dublin's Beaumont Hospital over the past year has resulted in neurology patients from across the State finding it increasingly difficult to be admitted to have conditions such as MS and Parkinson's disease investigated. p

Galway clinic to offer private patients cover
HEALTH INSURANCE: In a move set to benefit patients with private health insurance who are living in the west, north-west and south-west, Vhi Healthcare announced yesterday it will provide cover for members at the new Galway Clinic being opened at a cost of €100 million. p

Other Health Stories

Hyperactivity in young children linked to food additives
Food additives Artificial food colourings and preservatives have a "significant" impact on hyperactivity levels in very young children, according to new research from the UK. p
VHI launches plan to cover dental care
Dental insurance VHI, the Republic's largest healthcare insurance provider, has partnered with DeCare, a US dental insurance provider, to supply Ireland's first private dental health insurance plans. p
More midwife posts urged
Midwifery report A new report evaluating the effectiveness of specialist nursing and midwifery posts within the health services has concluded that there is a need for more of these posts to be developed. p
Martin defends practice of fluoridating water
Public water supply Fluoride is still being added to water supplies in the State, despite 11 local authorities voting against its use amid continuing public concern about its effects on human health and the environment. Last week, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, strongly defended the practice, in response to a Dáil question from the Green Party Leader, Trevor Sargent. p
Students teach peers dangers of drink
A new film by students shows darker effects of binge drinking. Theresa Judge reports p
Scientists prepare for full-face transplant
US Scientists are preparing to perform the world's first full-face transplant. The 24-hour operation involves lifting an entire face from a dead donor - including nose cartilage, nerves and muscles - and transferring them to someone disfigured by burns or other injuries. p
Irish Heart Foundation starts healthy eating campaign
Promotion The Irish Heart Foundation launched its month-long "Happy Heart Eat Out" campaign yesterday, encouraging restaurants, hotels and pubs to provide healthier choices to customers with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. p
Book urges special group to target binge drinking
Youth drinking A governmental or inter-governmental group dedicated to coordinating possible solutions to binge drinking among young people should be set up, according to the editors of a new book Binge Drinking & Youth Culture, Alternative Perspectives. p
Make mine wheat free, dairy free and hassle free please
SOUNDBITES Paula Mee Is it an allergy or an intolerance? What's the difference and why is it so important to get the terminology right? p

Your Lifestyle

Playgrounds of the grown-ups
With such a wide variety of gyms to choose from, we're all running out of excuses not to keep fit. Patricia Weston reports p
Get personal
Personal training is a booming industry in Ireland. It's no longer seen as an exclusive option for the rich and A-list celebrities. p
So what's on offer?
Patricia Weston visits three gyms around the country p
My Kind of Exercise
Novelist Martina Devlin tells Patricia Weston about how her regular jogs on the beach give her the 'feel good' endorphins she used to only get from chocolate p
The food epidemic
EXTREME CUISINE Haydn Shaughnessy The Inuit Eskimos, legend has it, have 80 different words for snow. No doubt these words convey the significance of snow's weight, compactness, volume, ice content and the essential characteristics that make each type significant to life. p

Your Health

Cancer revolution brings hope for all
Medical advances Cancer is becoming a chronic disease rather than a sudden acute illness eased only by death. Sylvia Thompson reports p
Less scalpel, better recovery
The treatment The standard approach to cancer used to be surgery to remove the malignant tumour, followed by radiation therapy to kill the remaining cancer cells at the tumour site and chemotherapy to systematically "mop up" any other cancer activity in the body. Now, depending on the type of cancer and when the diagnosis is made, the treatment approach varies. p
More results, less toxins
The drugs A keener understanding of the biology of cancer cells is leading to the development of less crude forms of treatment which target specific mechanisms within cancer cells rather than killing the cells outright. p
Surgery will be determined by genes before tumours appear
Prevention Cancer treatment of the future may involve treating patients before tumours even develop, according to Prof John Reynolds, cancer surgeon at St James's Hospital, Dublin. p
Doctor Web
MEDICAL MATTERS Muiris Houston One of the hazards of having an email address at the end of this column is that it attracts all sorts of unsolicited messages. p

News Focus

Past liabilities still sticking point
Analysis: Past liabilities are the outstanding issue as insurance cover for many Irish obstetricians remains in doubt, writes Medical Correspondent Dr Muiris Houston p
Lessons in healthy eating
A primary school in Cork city has introduced a nutrition policy with a view to changing pupils' attitudes to food - and it works, writes Regina Daly p
Gays run 'higher risk of suicide'
Gay men and lesbians throughout the Republic suffer from increased risk of suicide, psychological stress and negative mental health, a new report shows. p
Cars and nuns rule the day
HEART BEAT/Maurice Neligan: As I write this I am sitting in my study looking across a May garden. This is what should properly be called "exam weather". All of us remember May-June weather when the sun shone day after day, while you endeavoured to make up the study deficiencies of a whole year in the few weeks remaining before the exams. p

Consumer Focus

The changing face of the GP's surgery
The modern practice There is a new dynamic emerging in general practice which often works with complementary medicine. Padraig O'Morain outlines one case of GP 'think group' p
Supporting each other in a time of isolation
Support group Sylvia Thompson on how parents of children with cancer help each other p
Check-Up
Hayfever "At this time every year, just as the garden needs most attention, my partner claims his hayfever prevents him from doing his share. Is he swinging the lead or has he a legitimate excuse?" p
Vicarious victims
MIND MOVES Marie Murray Is it possible to be traumatised by exposure to someone else's trauma? Could you, in some extraordinary vicarious way, experience the shellshock of war, that "carnage incomparable", as if you yourself were on the battlefield? Could your ears hear the "stuttering rifles' rapid rattle" and your eyes witness the grim grotesque grimaces of death? p

The Back Page

De-stressing opportunities
A New Life Lainey Ennis has turned a health crisis into a business opportunity. Sylvia Thompson reports p
AIDS vaccine remains elusive
Radio Scope Case Notes, BBC4, Tuesdays, 9 p.m. Would you take part in a trial for the HIV/AIDS vaccine? Given the sketchy knowledge that most of us have about vaccines, it has to be one of the hardest sells in medical trials. p
My Working Day
Dr Rosario Power, acting principal clinical psychologist with the South Western Area Health Board, helps children and teenagers deal with the problems in their lives p
On the Couch
Ann Marie Part Occupation: Principal Environmental Health Officer, deputy chairwoman of the Environmental Health Officers' Association p
Lifelines
DOUBLE PREGNANCIES: Are you pregnant with twins, triplets or more? If so, you may be interested in attending ante-natal classes for mothers expecting more than one baby. Held in the Conference Centre at the Coombe Women's Hospital in conjunction with the Irish Multiple Births Association, the classes run on June 8th, September 7th and December 7th at 7.30 p.m. Details on tel: 01 8749056 or info@imba.ie p

Sections

Search for

Services

Most popular stories

Property

Jobs

Motors

Dating