Why interesting? This article sheds light on the sharp contrast between NZ and many other advanced economies, while demonstrating how precarious the situation remains across the globe.

Why interesting? The opinion piece is posted by a researcher who has been looking at the issues around equity and access to mental health services in Canada (among Muslim women, for example. https://cmha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/MWMH_FINAL.pdf). 

Why interesting? This article gives insight to the amount of people who have currently received the Covid-19 vaccine. The first people to receive this vaccine are Healthcare workers that are in direct contact with Covid-19 patients and people in nursing homes. There has also been an approval for a third vaccine for Ireland to speed up the vaccine process.

‘Anger grows over early vaccinations for workers in private hospitals’ The Independent, 16^th Jan  (Ryan, 2021)

·       Controversy over the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine to frontline healthcare workers in Private Healthcare settings ahead of those in Public Healthcare settings, despite the fact that the majority of Covid-19 patients are being treated in public facilities. 

·       Private hospitals struck a deal with the Government which stated that only 30% of their ward-space will be dedicated to the treatment of covid patients. 

·       Those healthcare workers in public settings are therefore more susceptible to picking up the virus (increased risk), as they are more likely to be directly dealing with patients of Corona virus. 

·       The staff at Nenagh hospital make a video pleading with the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and Taoiseach Micheal Martin for clarity on when they will receive their vaccinations. 

·       Various members of staff state that they are afraid of the virus on a personal level- explaining that they can see their co-workers falling victim to the illness at an alarming rate.  It is stated that if they do not soon receive the vaccine the hospital will be unable to care for the number of patients in the hospital at that time.

·       Doctors and Nurses express anger that staff in private hospitals who are not directly dealing with covid patients have received the vaccine ahead of them.

‘Frustration as staff at private hospital that refused to agree HSE deal are vaccinated ahead of public healthcare workers’ The Independent, 14^th Jan (Ryan & McQuinn, 2021)

·       Stephen Donnelly, Minister for health is questioned on why staff members at private hospital (The Beacon) who have refused to cooperate with HSE negotiations to provide extra beds in an emergency situation, have been vaccinated ahead of healthcare workers in public settings.  

·       Other private hospitals who did sign the bed-capacity deal with the HSE have also expressed anger in response to the designation of Beacon as a mass-vaccination centre.

‘Covid linked to a risk of mental illness and brain disorder, study suggests’

The Guardian, UK Newspaper

Now that vaccination programmes are beginning to be rolled out it is important to investigate and prepare for the longer-term illnesses that SARS-CoV-2 can cause, such as psychiatric illness. Psychiatric services are underfunded in many countries and, if this study’s findings are correct, they will soon experience even more increasing demand. 

Why interesting?
This news shows how and when health/social care reforms are often proposed in the UK (e.g. politicisation of health, tensions between democratic inputs and profession-driven system).

‘Tailoring health interventions: behavioural and cultural insights for health’ 

You know that saying about ‘how just throwing money at a problem won’t fix it’? Well, this article is about developing more effective health interventions by utilising behavioural and cultural insights. I just think it’s really neat.

It is nearly a year since the beginning of the pandemic and despite this, the government is still not providing adequate support for people whose mental health is suffering.

 

 

 

Colon cancer is the third most common form of cancer in the and the second most deadly and this new development senses and differentiates tissues including tumours more accurately and faster. 

 

This article discusses how Ireland is currently above the EU rate with 3% of our population fully vaccinated.

Why is this interesting?
This article is interesting because it outlines the vaccines rates in Ireland in comparison to other countries such as the United Kingdom, United States, Israel, Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the Netherlands. It also explains that Ireland is expecting to administer  the first dose of the vaccine to 80% of the population by the end of June. This is some reassuring news for the population of Ireland as they will be able to finally enjoy their lives again.

 The piece in the Irish Examiner    depicts Ireland's mental health severices  at it worst. This is down to it's  lack of funding and the poor  living  conditions of  patients at the ward. 

This interested me as it was shocking to see a developed states as Ireland have a mental health facility of the 50’s.  Patients had set time to wake and sleep, due to this were not allowed to take nap during the day according to the last inspection. The staff at the facility lacked the skills in which  the patients  truly needed. The were understaffed  as there  were not  enough dietitians and speech and language therapists. The mental ward had been said to brake state regulation due to the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).

There was a lack of human dignity  of patient at the Cork facility, due to shortage  of staff patient were  locked in their rooms during the day. The rooms  had with on curtain and were  poorly  maintained. Patients bodily  health was being affect too,  being subject to environmental   injustice. In the facility they  were subject to second hand smoking and faced with a displeasing view of cigarette butts and litter on the ground.

 

Interestingly, while these drugs are illegal, people still choose to use them for medication suggesting the benefits they produce for many users outweigh the legal risk. This is of course speaking only about those who use these drugs as medicine and not to the recreational users.

https://www.thejournal.ie/psychedelic-drugs-depression-5372799-Mar2021/

Why is it interesting?

The article mentions a GP working in a student health centre who states that on a given morning 50% of her patients have mental health issues as part of their reason for visiting. There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on our nation’s mental health and mental health care provision. The GP also states that the number of patients presenting with eating disorders has increased during the pandemic. The article sates that eating disorders can serve as a coping mechanism though providing the individual with a sense of control over their lives, something many of us ow feel is lost.

https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/eating-disorders-covid-impact-students-5354577-Feb2021/

 

 https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/health-news/ireland-vaccine-plan-groups-jab-23772543

Next generation local health policies will rely on geospatial data (https://www.geospatialworld.net/blogs/next-generation-local-health-policies-will-rely-on-geospatial-data/) 

Why is this article interesting? 

This article discusses the introduction of data tracking technology in health policy.  This is particularly relevant since the Covid-19 Pandemic.  Technology such as the Covid Tracker App is an example of these geospatial technologies in Ireland.  This tech may be a pathway to real-time health statistics and data to both care providers and the public, however they pose some questions in relation to privacy. 

Why is this article interesting? 

This article discusses the various approaches taken by different countries in combatting the covid-19 pandemic.  It is most interesting as it highlights the fact that economic wealth does not define the countries’ success in combatting the virus from an international perspective.  This article also draws an interesting conclusion in its observation that countries who, in early stages of the pandemic struggled to control the virus in the initial stages of the pandemic have some of the swiftest vaccination roll-outs (Israel/UK/US) 

The HSE’s National Corporate Plan 2021-24 is a very pretty document filled with very aspirational promises. I don’t think this IT article gives nearly enough attention to the feasibility of securing appropriate funding. However, it does highlight the HSE’s newfound determination to improve primary and community based services, as well as reducing waiting times for treatment by increasing capacity (in part by renting beds from private hospitals). 

The Corporate Plan points out that Ireland’s rate of unmet medical needs is higher than the EU average (p 24). 

It’s good to have a plan, but how effectively will it be implemented?

I found this article interesting as it highlights how the response of the health service to the global pandemic has incorporated the core values of Slaintecare.
Access to healthcare services is based on need rather than ability to pay.
The patients needs are central to the operation of the service.  The patient now moves 'relatively seamlessly through the system' and all availabel resources are utilised. Changes that otherwise would have taken years to implement happened overnight. Inter and intra-hospital co-operation is mandated not optional. The private system, is now leveraged to enable the public system, rather than the other way around.

The health service response to Covid-19 has embedded Sláintecare’s core principles of community and patient-centredness, 'Citizens are getting the right care, in the right place, at the right time, delivered with empathy, equity and efficiency using the best technology.'
Irish citizens should not accept a return to the old ways.

Why found this article interesting is that it shows that Ireland is slowly in implementing plans related  to health care. Mother and baby mental units are for mothers  suffering from mental illness.

At the the child's birth, the mother and child would often be separated  due to the mother mental health.  Psychologist have found that separation of mother and child at birth is not good for the child nor mother.  Also   in 2016 an  estimated 40-60% of women stated that they would potentiality benefit from mother and baby mental units hence the plan to make them accessible.  


This was since 2017 that the plan was doing to be implemented. This shows that their are lags in implementing plans which seems to be an issue within the Irish healthcare system, and the budget seems to be the common issues as  to why these plans dont fall through. Not finding way to implement this plan will lead to lack of accessibility of the needs of mothers with mental illness.

The article is interesting because it explains the problem on a chemical level, describing the stress hormones associated with these negative feelings. 

As the pandemic has already had a huge impact on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, any further delays post-covid will continue to have a detrimental effect. 

 

Liz Yeates of the Marie Keating Foundation says that early detection and early intervention can have a “significant impact” on a cancer patient’s outcome and the HSE need to better communicate the details of the plan.

 

A director of  the Irish Cancer Society, Rachel Morrogh says that delays to diagnosis and treatment can lead to reduced survival rates for patients.

“Nearly 60% say mental health hit by pandemic - CSO”

This article details some of the latest figures from the fifth Social Impact of Covid-19 survey. Shocking responses speak to the severity of the pandemic’s effects on our nations mental health. 

Why is this article interesting? 

This article displays in stark figures, just how much of an impact the pandemic has had on our nations mental health. The survey paints a bleak picture, showing an increase of 9.5% of respondents stating they are downhearted or depressed "all or most of the time" since last April. Perhaps most worrying is “The number of people who believe their life will never return to normal has doubled - up from 4.3% to 8.9% - in the three months to February.”

This article shows the very real crises of mental health that our nations health care system must be prepared to deal with in the coming future. The effects of this crisis are likely to need action at a policy level to accommodate the increasing number and servery of cases.

This is a very good summary outlining key issues, highlighted by the pandemic, and what needs to be done coming out of this period. 

As Covid-19 has limited the number of public places rough sleepers maintain their hygiene. It has taken a total on their mental health as they feel even more social excluded in society as an element of their physiology needs have been cut off. This has increased the amount of individuals who attended drug rehabilitation services and counselling  service for rough sleepers, which is now  in high demand. They under resourced and under staffed for these new high demands. Rough sleepers cannot enter traditional mental health facilities and  some do not have phones to access online resource to help with  their mental health.  

Why is this article interesting?
This article is interesting as informed the readers that rates of suicide did not increase in wealthy countries during the first pandemic. The article discusses the research carried out. Researchers compared suicide rates from previous years to the rates during the first pandemic. Many people would argue that lockdown has affected people's mental health negatively causing them to resort to suicide, this article argues otherwise. Irelands first professor of mental health states the importance of mental health supports and monitoring trends.

This Journal article examines the difference between the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE); with particular emphasis on the cost of each system.  This piece discusses the programmes and organisations which already exist to encourage collaboration between the two systems in order to maximise positive health outcomes for patients.