veNTIlATIoN - Green Cross Publishing
veNTIlATIoN - Green Cross Publishing
veNTIlATIoN - Green Cross Publishing
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news<br />
8<br />
Diabetes Update Day<br />
At the diabetes update day in donegal recently were<br />
ms Pauline Kilcoyne (Practice Nurse), ms Abina o'Flynn<br />
(msd), ms Tina bovaird (Practice Nurse) and<br />
ms Kathleen mcKeague (community dietitian).<br />
ms Abina o’Flynn (msd), ms Fiona gibbons (Practice<br />
Nurse), ms Teresa woods (Practice Nurse) at the recent<br />
diabetes update day in donegal.<br />
youth suicide rates require action<br />
One of the world’s leading experts on youth mental health has<br />
warned that Ireland must act now if it is to reduce its alarmingly<br />
high rates of youth suicide. Speaking at the young People’s<br />
Health in Mind Forum at the Exchange recently Professor<br />
Pat McGorry, Executive Director of ORyGEN Research Centre,<br />
Melbourne, Australia and a director of Headstrong, the National<br />
Centre for youth Mental Health, said that Ireland needs to<br />
build on what is already underway in terms of working with<br />
communities to develop appropriate supports to ensure young<br />
people no longer fall through the large gaps which exist in the<br />
current service system.<br />
“Back in the late 1990s Australia’s suicide rates were at the<br />
same rate as they are in Ireland today but thanks to significant<br />
investment by the Australian Government in mental health<br />
reform and an increase in public awareness about mental health<br />
problems and the importance of getting help early, “Australia<br />
Nurseline 24/7<br />
celebrates 10 years<br />
NurseLine 24/7 from Vhi Healthcare recently celebrated ten<br />
years of service from its base in Navan, Co Meath. Staffed by<br />
qualified nurses, NurseLine 24/7 has handled over 70,000 calls<br />
relating to health and lifestyle queries from Vhi Healthcare<br />
customers. It has proved to be very popular with parents calling<br />
for free out-of-hours advice on a range of topics affecting child<br />
health, with queries on swine flu near the top of the list.<br />
NurseLine 24/7 has handled approximately half a million calls<br />
since its launch in 1999. A pioneering service, NurseLine 24/7<br />
remains unique in the Irish market as the only medical helpline<br />
offered by a private health insurer that is located in Ireland, with<br />
local professionals providing local knowledge. NurseLine 24/7<br />
is also the only service to offer a pregnancy/paediatric support<br />
line.<br />
2009 saw a record number of calls to NurseLine 24/7 service<br />
with an average of almost 250 callers each day ringing for<br />
advice on a broad range of health issues. The top health<br />
symptoms which customers call about are high temperature,<br />
vomiting, rash, diarrhoea, coughs, abdominal pain, crying<br />
children and cold/flu symptoms.<br />
According to Vhi Healthcare Chief Executive Jimmy Tolan, “We<br />
are delighted with the success of the NurseLine 24/7 service<br />
and the fact that it adds so much value and reassurance for our<br />
customers. The numbers calling the service each month clearly<br />
demonstrates that when customers have a health query they<br />
are reassured by the fact that they can talk to a qualified health<br />
professional who knows and understands the Irish healthcare<br />
system for advice and guidance.”<br />
When the service first launched in 1999, a small number<br />
of staff handled some 250 calls per month. Now the service<br />
has expanded to more than 20 nurses working shifts to look<br />
after the healthcare enquiries of over 80,000 callers annually,<br />
24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The NurseLine 24/7 team<br />
collectively has a wide range of medical experience not only in<br />
areas such as maternity and paediatrics, but also cardiac care,<br />
intensive care, occupational health, orthopaedics, theatre, and<br />
accidentand emergency.<br />
NurseLine 24/7 can be contacted by phone on CallSave 1850<br />
247 724. Further information on Vhi Healthcare is available on<br />
www.vhi.ie<br />
has seen a reduction of its youth suicide rates by 55% in less<br />
than ten years” said Professor McGorry, “There is some progress<br />
being made here in Ireland but it is not enough and a great deal<br />
more needs to be done now to provide support for a significant<br />
and growing number of young people” he added.<br />
The Forum was organised by Headstrong, the National Centre<br />
for youth Mental Health. A central focus of Headstrong’s work<br />
has been the development of their Jigsaw programme which<br />
brings together those working to improve the mental health<br />
of young people including healthcare providers, educators,<br />
youth workers and the wider community to work together to<br />
provide a range of accessible services and supports to young<br />
people in an environment which works for them. In the past<br />
12 months Jigsaw has been successfully rolled out in Galway,<br />
and in Ballymun, Dublin. Further Jigsaw programmes are being<br />
developed for Kerry, Meath and Roscommon.
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