IAEM & Emergency Medicine News 2011

October 2011

• 22nd October 2011 The IAEM Annual General Meeting which took place in Limerick passed a number of important decisions. Among these was a series of amendments to its Constitution; a decision to endorse the merger of IEMTA into IAEM and the decision to transfer the operations of the Association into the new limited company IAEM Limited. As a result of Constitutional changes, medical students can now be admitted as Affiliate Members of the Association at a nominal annual fee.

September 2011

• 29th September 2011 IAEM has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Disaster Relief by Irish Pakistanis (DRIP), an Irish charity which seeks to improve emergency care in Pakistan. DRIP are anxious to avail of the expertise of IAEM which has been involved in running a national training programme in Emergency Medicine through its training arm ICEMT for many years. The Association's Press Release welcomes the signing of the MoU and photos of the event are on this webpage.
• 27th September 2011 IAEM has expressed its concern about the ongoing use of looped cords on blinds following the recent inquest into the tragic death of another toddler recently. The Association's Press Release supports the recent call for a ban made by Dr Brian Farrell, Dublin City Coroner and offers advice to try to reduce the risks of further fatalities.
• 26th September 2011 IAEM has published its Position Paper on the role of the Full Capacity Protocol (FCP) in the management of Emergency Department overcrowding. A Press Release to mark the launch of the Position Paper was also issued. The Association recognises that implementation of the FCP does not provide the definitive solution to ED overcrowding, however the current situation of ongoing and worsening ED overcrowding is grossly unsafe and implementation of the FCP provides a safer, fairer and better way of distributing the patient care burden throughout the hospital.
• 9th September 2011 IAEM has offered advice to Junior Certificate students to 'stay safe' when celebrating the results of their exams which will be announced on 14th September 2011. The Association's Press Release is mindful that Junior Cert students often end up in Emergency Departments when their celebrations come to grief. Occasionally permanent harm can befall students in this situation and the Association hopes that their advice may make it more likely that the celebrations can be enjoyed without any untoward events spoiling students' enjoyment of the festivities.

August 2011

• 13th August 2011 In response to a call for submissions from the Oireachtas Justice, Defence & Equality Committee on the proposed Mental Capacity legislation, IAEM has made a submission to the Committee. The Association Press Release, Covering Letter to the Secretary of the Committee and the Submission itself can be viewed by clicking on the links.
• 11th August 2011 The incidence of trampoline-associated injuries has doubled worldwide over the past decade. Trampoline-associated injuries commonly present to Ireland's Emergency Departments, particularly during the summer. IAEM has issued advice to parents in an attempt to reduce the number of such injuries. The Association's Press Release includes practical advice on how to reduce the liklihood of injury.
• 8th August 2011 IAEM has expressed grave concerns about the patient safety impact of a circular issued by the Health Service Executive prohibiting the hiring of locum doctors to take effect from 15th August 2011. If enacted, the circular will have the effect of forcing the closure of some Emergency Departments and the curtailment of the hours of opening of further EDs. There is a 25% doctor vacancy nationally with the majority of the vacancies at the Middle Grade level. The Association's Press Release asks that EDs be exempted from this prohibition.
• 2nd August 2011 With children enjoying their summer holidays, IAEM has taken the opportunity to advise parents of safety precautions they should take to ensure that their children can play safely with the Fliker scooter, the latest craze sweeping the country. The Association's Press Release is intended to reduce the number of children who end up coming to the country's Emergency Departments with avoidable injuries as a result of simple precautions not being taken.

July 2011

• 28th July 2011 IAEM has issued a timely warning to parents about the risks of thermal injury at this time of year. The Association's Press Release notes that a group of children, typically younger children, require treatment for sunburn?in spite of Ireland's notoriously fickle summer weather. This preventable injury continues to cause unnecessary pain and suffering. In addition, the Association has noted the recent research which confirms that scalds with hot drinks, usually tea, are seen more frequently in the UK and Ireland than elsewhere in Europe. It offers advice about prevention and notes that the consequences of such scalds are often significant.

June 2011

• 27th June 2011 The recent fatality of a patient who had been seen and assessed in the Emergency Department of AMNCH, Tallaght but for whom there was no available inpatient bed and whose inquest was widely reported in the media has prompted an inquiry by the Heath Information & Quality Authority (HIQA). IAEM has issues a Press Release welcoming the HIQA inquiry and requesting that it be extended to all hospitals whose EDs suffer from chronic ED overcrowding. The Association has also repeated the need to finally and successfully adress the ongoing scourge of ED overcrowding which is contributing to unnecessary mortality and morbidity for patients.
• 16th June 2011The Association's EM NCHD Manpower Survey confirms significant deficets in ED staffing, particularly at the Middle Grade level. In all only 5 of the 32 24/7 EDs are fully staffed and there is a vacancy rate of 25%. More worryingly 1 Middle Grade post in 3?will be unfilled on 11th July 2011.The Press Release providing details of the findings and expressing concerns about the implications is available to view.
• 14th June 2011 The Association has issued a Press Release expressing dismay about the likely Emergency Medicine NCHD vacancy rate which is likely to arise at the NCHD changeover on 11th July 2011. The Association is currently carrying out a survey of the NCHD staffing of all 32 EDs providing 24/7 services which will be complete within days. It is anticipated that doctor shortages will result in additional delays for patients attending EDs and some EDs may no longer be able to provide 24/7 services as a result.
• 3rd June 2011 The Association has welcomed the announcement by the Minister of Health, Dr James Reilly TD, of the creation of the Special Delivery Unit with the express priority of (finally) addressing the ongoing problem of Emergency Department Overcrowding. The Association's Press Release wecomes the appointment of Dr Martin Connor and the tasking of the SDU with the role. It also acknowledges that there is a considerable body of international and national work including the Emergency Department Taskforce Report available as a resource to the SDU.

May 2011

• 30th May 2011 The Advisory Committee on Emergency Medicine Training (ACEMT) is renamed the Irish Committee for Emergency Medicine Training (ICEMT) in recognition of its much widened ambit and its de factorole as the Training Body responsible for Emergency Medicine training in Ireland

April 2011

• 22nd April 2011The Association issued a statement yesterday raising its very serious concerns about the expected shortfall in recruitment to posts as SHOs and Registrars in Emergency Medicine in the country's Emergency Departments. Based on the enormous difficulty experienced to date in recruiting junior doctors, the Association has major concerns that some EDs will be forced to either restrict their hours of opening or will be forced to function with fewer medical staff with consequent long delays for patients. Linked is the Association's Press Release which castigates the performance of HSE Human Resources directorate which has contributed significantly to the worsening of the problem.
• 21st April 2011A webpage dealing with the Professional Competence Scheme for Emergency Medicine devised by ACEMT and run under the aegis of RCSI has been created. From next month each doctor in Emergency Medicine (in common with doctors in other specialties within Medicine) not on a recognised Training Scheme (i.e. those not in BSTEM or HSTEM) will be obliged to carry out the obligations announced by the Medical Council.
• 21st April 2011 GECS has announced details of its fundraising Summer Ball which will be held on Saturday 11th June 2011 at the Stephen's Green Hibernian Club in Dublin. See the GECS website for further details.
• 20th April 2011 IEMTA has announced details of its Summer 2011 meeting which will be held in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 123 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 on Friday 13th May 2011. Available is a copy of the meeting programmeand all Consultants and trainees are cordially invited to attend.
• 2nd April 2011The well established biennial Resus Meeting (Resus 2011) took place at the Radisson Hotel, Limerick over the past two days. As ever, an excellent array of speakers presented to a record audience for the meeting which is supported by IAEM. Available to view are the Conference Websiteand a webpage with the Speakers' Presentations.

March 2011

• 31st March 2011 The Association has welcomed unequivocal comments made by the newly appointed Minister for Health Dr James Reilly TD in which he committed himself to ending the unacceptable scourge of Emergency Department overcrowding. Linked is the Association's Press Release welcoming the Minister's comments.

February 2011

• 22nd February 2011For many years the Association and particularly its members who have acted as Medical Advisors to the country's Regional Ambulance Services have been calling for the appointment of a Medical Director to the National Ambulace Service. The recent decision to appoint Dr Cathal O'Donnell and Mr Mark Doyle respectively as Medical Director and Deputy Medical Director to the NAS has been warmly welcomed by IAEM. Linked is the Association's Press Release welcoming the new Senior appointments to the NAS. This move also sees Mr Robert Morton becoming the National Director responsible for the NAS.
• 9th February 2011 The 2011 General Election Campaign is currently in full swing and the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine has published its 10 point Sustainable and Equitable Strategy for Emergency Care. The Association strongly believes that whatever government comes to power, there will need to be a strong commitment to emergency care and offers its 10 point plan as a template for such an approach. The major and ongoing public health threat of Emergency Department overcrowding must finally be tacked by the incoming government.

January 2011

• 12th January 2011 The worsening Emergency Department overcrowding situation combined with a significant increase in the number of people being diagnosed with either seasonal or H1N1 influenza has prompted the Association to point out the very significant clinical risks that this scenario produces. The Press Release makes the point that many admitted inpatients, who are the group of patients that Emergency Departments are forced to lodge, suffer from the underlying medical conditions which would be regarded as high risk for contracting influenza and having poorer outcomes from the condition.
• 6th January 2011 Regrettably the New Year has begun with new record numbers of patients on trolleys in Emergency Departments awaiting hospital admission so called inpatient boarders. Wednesday 5th January 2011 saw a new ignominy for the Irish Health Service with 568 inpatient boarders, forcing the Association to express its very deep concerns acout the resulting increased risks for such patients both of increased mortality and morbidity.

• 7th January 2011 The Association's President was featured on the RTE 1 TV Primetime programme on 6th January 2011 (The relevant section is from 17 to 34 minutes of the programme) and on the following day's Drivetime RTE 1 Radio Programme (The relevant section is from 38 minutes 52 seconds to 50 minutes into the programme)

• 10th January 2011 The Association has formally welcomed the publication of the Report of the National Acute Medicine Programmewhich was launched on 22nd December 2010. The Association was represented on the programme Working Group by Dr Una Geary, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, St James's Hospital who is also the National Clinical Lead for the Emergency Medicine Programme. The Association's Press Release welcoming the publication also notes some barriers to implementation which will need to be overcome to ensure the programme delivers its goals.