Mater Hospital reaches important milestone
This week brought some much needed good news with the announcement that the National Centre for Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Mater Hospital in Dublin has carried out its 100th lung transplant.
The first single lung transplant was carried out in Ireland in 2005 by Mr Jim McCarthy, Director at the National Centre for Cardiothoracic Surgery, and surgeon Mr Freddie Wood and this was quickly followed by a successful double lung transplant.
While the vast majority of lung transplants have been performed by specialists at the Mater Hospital since 2005, some of the more complex cases had been referred to Newcastle. However in January this year it was announced that all adult lung transplantations would be repatriated back to Ireland from Newcastle. The Mater now has sole responsibility for adult lung transplantations for Irish patients.
In 2013 a total of 32 lung transplants were carried out in the Mater which was more than double the number carried out in 2012 (14). In fact more lung transplants were carried out in 2013 than for the previous four years, which saw Ireland rise from 13th place in Europe for lung transplantation to third. The number of Cystic Fibrosis double lung transplants also increased from 4 in 2012 to 9 in 2013.
Congratulating the Mater for reaching its 100th lung transplant the Minister for Health Mr Leo Varadkar said: “This is a great achievement for the Mater and for Irish medicine. I want to congratulate everyone involved including surgeons, physicians, nurses and support staff, who have worked hard as a team to raise our lung transplant rates. The impact of their work on the lives of their patients is immense.”
“I am heartened that the 2013 level of transplantation is being maintained this year to the benefit of patients, their families and friends.”
Minister Varadkar paid tribute to Professor Jim Egan, Director of Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland, for the continued progress being made in increasing kidney, heart and liver, and lung transplantation rates.
He also paid tribute to donors and their families for their great generosity. “I hope the benefits enjoyed by transplant recipients will continue to be a source of some consolation to families in their time of grief.”
Oireachtas Health Committee
This week was also an anniversary of sorts for the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar who marked just over 100 days since his appointment as Minister for Health. He appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children yesterday (Thursday October 23) together with the Director General of the HSE Mr Tony O Brien. Minister Varadkar told the Committee that his first priority on appointment was to achieve a realistic budget and he believed that had been achieved in Budget 2015, with an increase in the exchequer allocation of over €300 million compared to the 2014. Addressing the Committee Minister Varadkar said, “the cycle of cuts in health has come to an end. As I said on the night of the Budget we have secured a welcome but modest increase in the total financial resources available to the HSE, the first in seven years.”
“The 2015 budget is challenging, but its targets are achievable. We are now entering a two year process which stabilises the budget, and allows for existing levels of service to continue, along with some enhancements.”
However he also warned that the management of health spending within available resources would “require an exceptional management focus with strict adherence by all services and budget holders to their allocations.”
“I think it’s important that we are clear that where we identify further savings or efficiencies, we now have the capacity and the scope to reinvest the savings back into the health service, rather than giving them up to service a debt or reduce a deficit,” the Minister stated.
The Director General of the HSE Mr Tony O Brien also addressed the Oireachtas Health Committee and he informed members that the HSE Service Plan for 2015 was expected to be submitted to the Minister for Health for his approval by mid November. The HSE Service Plan is usually published shortly after it receives ministerial approval.
Details of the financial situation faced by the HSE were also released yesterday (Thursday 23 October) with the publication of the Executive’s latest Performance Assurance Report (PAR). According to the August 2014 PAR the health service is currently facing an estimated deficit of €510 million to year end.
#Littlethings – new mental health awareness campaign
This week also saw the launch of the The HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP)’s new mental health public awareness campaign.
Entitled #littlethings the campaign, developed in conjunction with mental health experts, and more than 25 partner organisations highlights little things that can improve mental health and wellbeing and showcases a selection of actions that are proven help. These include keeping active, talking about problems, connecting with others going through difficult times, drinking less alcohol, eating and sleeping well.
As part of the campaign the NOSP has also developed a new online information resource, yourmentalhealth.ie
According to the NOSP, this website is “the most comprehensive online directory of support services and information on mental health in Ireland. It is a great place to learn about mental health, and to find out how to support yourself and the people you care about. In addition, there is now one single emotional support Freephone number, available at all times, from the Samaritans at 116 123. “
The campaign received a lot of attention on social media the evening before its launch when Taoiseach Enda Kenny took to Twitter after a three year absence to tweet “Twitter it has been a while…but it is time to talk about the #littlethings”.
You can follow the #littlethings campaign at @littlethingshub or join in the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #littlethings.