Mental Health Reform Ireland

Mental Health Reform is the leading national coalition on mental health in Ireland. We have over 70 member organisations, representing a broad range of interests, like housing, disability, children’s rights, human rights, ethnic minorities and many others. Mental Health Reform provides a unified voice campaigning to drive progressive reform of mental health services and supports in Ireland.
Read more at Mental Health Reform

Mental health patients 'should be given more rights over treatment

People with serious mental health problems should be given a host of new rights to ensure they receive better care if they are detained for compulsory treatment, an inquiry ordered by Theresa May has found.

The 50,000 people a year who are sectioned under the Mental Health Act should be able to set out how they want to be looked after and challenge doctors’ decisions about them, said the year-long independent review, led by Prof Sir Simon Wessely, an ex-president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

The review said patients detained in a psychiatric unit need a major extension of their rights because being locked up can be “traumatic” and “damaging.”

Read more at the Guardian

Read more from the BBC

More at: Review of the Mental Health Act

Ireland: An article in The Irish Times 2017 : Read More: Reform of mental health law should put the patient’s voice to the fore

Faster diagnosis from 'transformational' gene project

Scientists in Cambridge have completed the world's largest gene sequencing project in healthcare - which brings hope of better understanding of diseases and faster diagnosis. 

People with rare diseases, their family members and cancer patients took part.

Genomics England described the project as "transformational in what it means to society and humanity".

One in four participants with rare diseases received a diagnosis for the first time.

Until now, parents of children with rare genetic conditions typically spent years trying to find out the cause.

The 100,000 Genomes Project has ended this "diagnostic odyssey" for many families, and in some cases, led to effective treatments.

Read more from the BBC

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Fury over plans to phase out nursing homes in 20 years

Minister for Older People Jim Daly has become embroiled in a furious row with the nursing home industry over his plans to replace the traditional model of care with retirement villages.

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) wrote to the minister expressing the organisation's "fury and severe disappointment" over what they described as "derogatory" and "ill-informed" comments. The minister hit back, saying the industry's fury will not "influence" or "deter" him from reforming care for older people.

Last week, the minister told the Sunday Independent that he hoped to replace all of the country's nursing homes with retirement villages within the next 20 years.

Three days after his comments, the nursing homes industry lobby group held an emergency meeting to discuss the minister's plans

See full story from the Irish independent 

Hospital car parking fees to be capped

Hospital car parking charges will be capped at €10 per day, under new plans being introduced by Health Minister Simon Harris.

Hospitals will also be required to introduce discounted multi-day passes for relatives, guardians and friends who frequently visit patients in long-term care. This could include a consecutive two-day car parking pass for €10, a five-day pass for €20 or a 15-day pass for €35.

Hospitals will also be asked to introduce car parking passes which will allow visitors to park on 10 separate occasions over a three-month period.

However, the abolition of car parking fees has been ruled out in the report to be published soon.

Full report in the Irish Independent 

Implant Files: Medical devices may have caused more than 1,000 health incidents last year

 

More than 1,000 adverse health episodes that might have been caused by medical devices were reported to the Irish regulator of such products last year, according to figures released to The Irish Times.

In the period from 2015 to the end of September of this year, 39 of the reports involved a patient death where it was initially suspected that the medical device was a contributing cause.

However, a spokeswoman for the regulator, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), said that in all 22 of the 39 cases in which investigations had concluded, and based on the information available to date, “none of the incidents which involved a patient death were confirmed to be related to a device malfunction”.

Read more at the Irish Times

MEDICAL DEVICES HARM PATIENTS WORLDWIDE AS GOVERNMENTS FAIL ON SAFETY

A global investigation reveals the rising human toll of lax controls and testing standards pushed by a booming industry

Patients across the world now have access to facts about faulty or dangerous medical devices — including life-threatening ones — thanks to the publication of a database that for the first time brings together information from different countries.

Compiled by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and media partners as part of our year-long Implant Files investigation in 36 countries, the database fills a critical information void.

The International Medical Devices Database (IMDD) offers unprecedented insight into a broken system. It permits users to explore more than 70,000 recalls, safety alerts and field safety notices executed in 11 countries in its first release. Users can search by device name, by manufacturer, or by country.

Also see : How Lobbying Blocked European Safety Checks For Dangerous Medical Implants

Dr Nandi Health Hero

A #HealthHero means being an advocate for yourself and your family, in sickness and in health. It’s about building the confidence to gain knowledge and use that knowledge to make tough decisions. I’m giving readers the necessary tools to become empowered and take ownership of his or her health choices. Whether addressing bullying or prostate cancer, community and purpose or fitness and nutrition, I am tackling tough questions, stimulating conversations, creating a new awareness of options and resources, and guiding readers to confidently make the choices that are best for them.”

More at 
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EFCAM Mission/Vision

What is EFCAM? 

EFCAM is a Federation of European Federations of specific CAM modalities and national CAM umbrella organisations. Originating in December 2004 as a forum, before becoming a registered not for profit association, it has become the major voice for practitioners of CAM in Europe embracing some 20 CAM modalities in 23 countries.

EFCAM aims to:
• ensure freedom of choice in healthcare for the European public
• improve accessibility and availability of CAM services to the European public
• pursue recognition of CAM practices
• secure the legal right to practise of appropriately trained and regulated CAM practitioners in Europe
• have CAM included in EU health policy and strategy
• advise on regulatory structures and processes appropriate to CAM disciplines
• secure the participation of CAM experts in EU CAM research projects.

Visit Website
 Equitable access to healthcare, including CAM, and the sustainability of health services requires a shift towards health promotion and prevention of illness, and, towards more cost-effective treatment of illness. The CAM methods and CAM workforce are available to contribute to that.
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Chronic Fatigue Treatments I’ve Tried – Medical and Alternative

I thought it was about time I put a little post together for you of all the Chronic Fatigue treatments I tried during my time with CFS, which has proved to be one of my greatest teachers and still is to this day.

You might be surprised at how few I actually tried, especially when I was so sick. There were a few reasons for this:

1) I lived at home with my parents in a tiny village, so treatments options were few and far between. Therefore, I had to do my own thing with this bad boy.

2) I genuinely had no flippin’ idea what I was doing at the time, so felt absolutely clueless in taking action.

3) Even though CFS/ME were floating around at the time, I struggled to find a lot of helpful information about it. My parents also tried, but found it difficult as well.

4) I was sick, I mean, really sick, so felt unable to do anything. You know what I mean.

Read more from the very interesting blog A positive guide to completely healing Chronic Fatigue

Mr Hancock… we have a workforce problem

Two articles that have made Nursing Times headlines in July together offer a powerful warning about the future of the nursing profession. It is not a new warning but it is one that has been growing in significance. 

Nursing Times reported last week that more than 250,000 people had signed a petition calling for student nurses to be paid a minimum living wage, following the scrapping of the bursary in 2017. The number of signatures has now passed 280,000.

It was started by student nurse John Worth at the beginning of July. He pointed out that, unlike other students, those studying nursing faced the additional pressure of having to complete 2,300 unpaid hospital-based clinical hours to join the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s register.

Read more from the Nursing Times Online

The highly sensitive person

Is this you?

• Are you easily overwhelmed by such things as bright lights, strong smells, coarse fabrics, or sirens nearby?
• Do you get rattled when you have a lot to do in a short amount of time?
• Do you make a point of avoiding violent movies and TV shows?
• Do you need to withdraw during busy days, into bed or a darkened room or some other place where you can have privacy and relief from the situation?
• Do you make it a high priority to arrange your life to avoid upsetting or overwhelming situations?
• Do you notice or enjoy delicate or fine scents, tastes, sounds, or works of art?
• Do you have a rich and complex inner life?
• When you were a child, did your parents or teachers see you as sensitive or shy?Click here to take the self-test.

Read More at hsperson.com

A Guide To The Most Useful Free Nursing Apps

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I am so thankful for my nursing apps! They cut down on my nursing duties and just make my job so much easier. I’m thrilled to share with you my picks for the most useful free nursing apps.


A completely free medical dictionary app containing medical disorders & diseases with detailed definitions, symptoms, causes and treatment information. It works offline without any type of data or network connection. This app provides comprehensive information about how to deal with symptoms/how to prevent the disease; and how to improve knowledge about diseases. It contains a symptom search that will list possible causes. Information on prescription drugs is also included.

Read more at thenerdynurse.com 

How to Clear Negative Energy & Negative Thoughts

Everything found in the universe is made up of energy. This goes for both physical and nonphysical objects.

Basic physics and chemistry tells us that a physical object, such as a building, a tree, or this book, is made up of billions of individual atoms—little energy bundles that interact and bond with other atoms into many forms including water, metals, plants, soil, plastics, wood pulp, and other raw materials used to manufacture physical objects.

Nonphysical things—including thoughts, whether positive or negative thoughts are also made up of energy and, can also “bond” and interact with aspects and objects of our physical world.

How We Interact With Positive and Negative Energy

It’s well known, for instance, that our brain waves are a form of intense energy that can be easily detected with standard medical equipment—and that can interact with our physical world as any other form of energy would. Perhaps you’re wondering, what do I mean by “interact with our physical world”?

Read More at positively positive

What India's Traditional Yoga Teachers Want You to Know for the International Day of Yoga

Yoga is among India’s most popular cultural exports. People across the globe have adopted the ancient practice for its physical, mental and spiritual benefits. But along the way, yoga has morphed and been adapted to suit the modern gym-going public, leading some yogis to voice concern that it has become little more than a series of stretching exercises, divorced from its roots as a meditative discipline.

In an attempt to find out the true essence and importance of yoga, TIME spoke to traditional Indian teachers for the International Day of Yoga, which falls on June 21. Here’s what they had to say.

Kanchen Mala, instructor, Mysore Krishnamacharr Yoga Shala

“You must remember that yoga isn’t just about physical fitness—you also have to be mentally fit. You can’t get distracted easily and your mind must be focused. How long can you hold an asana [pose]? How long can you control your breathing? That matters. Many care only about external beauty, but pay attention to the internal elements as well.

Read More from TIME

International Day of Yoga

Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness.

Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.

Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11 December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131.

The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

Yoga for Peace
The theme for the 2018 celebration, organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, is 'Yoga for Peace.

Bottled-Up Emotions at Work Lead to Burnout

You can’t tease out solutions to problems like employee burnout and dissatisfaction without first acknowledging something is off kilter. The core mindful practice — noticing and labelling thoughts — could be key to navigating high stress workplaces.

In many ways, figures like Mad Men’s Donald Draper still reign in the professional world: unsmiling suits, grabbing the next crisp white shirt from a desk drawer after pulling an all-nighter. Many leaders embody the always-on professional robot — that is, until fatigue, stress, and burnout strike.

Research suggests that if we attempt to repress how our work affects us — how our work affects our emotional health — it can lead to increased stress, less productivity, heightened depression and anxiety, and may even lead to a greater risk of disease.
Read more at Mindful.org

Social Bite is on a mission to bring Scotland together, to build a collaborative movement to end homelessness here

This seems to be a great initiative... for other countries also ... more information and a link to the main website are below


The statistics in Scotland are not insurmountable. What we need to do is to collectively focus on the issue. We need people from all walks of life in Scotland to come together and stick up for the most vulnerable people among us.

Social Bite is on a mission to bring Scotland together, to build a collaborative movement to end homelessness here. To do that we need to make houses available to the homeless, we need to fund a support resource for people to sustain their tenancies, and we need to integrate these vulnerable and marginalised people back into society – where they belong.

If you would like to read our full plan for ending homelessness, then please download the study we commissioned from Heriot Watt University entitled “Eradicating Core Homelessness in Scotland’s Four Largest Cities”.

Social Bite Website and more information

Words of wisdom: my life in help help books

Health&Living columnist Katie Byrne has read hundreds of self-help books - some good, many bad. So which are the indispensible titles in the Katie canon?

You should never ask a woman her age, how many lovers she's had or how many self-help books she has read.

That's the answer I tend to give when the latter question is broached, although I'll concede that I've read quite a few. If you read the Breathing Space column in this magazine, you'll know that I try to glean insights from many self-development sources. Some are current, some are classics, but they're all, to my mind, worthy of being shared. But it's a huge market, and not everything you see on the shelves is worth reading. So how do you know which ones to try? As a general rule, I stay away from books that were panic-written in time for the January self-improvement market. I also avoid books that piggyback current trends, whether it's mindfulness, morning rituals or the latest Scandinavian lifestyle import.

And I have no truck with books that promise to "change your life!". If you really think you need to conclusively overhaul every aspect of your being, well then you're going to need more than a book. Self-development books work best when there's a specific challenge to overcome. If you want to deal with grief, break a habit or stop procrastinating, you'll find no shortage of excellent books by experts in the field. But if you walk into a bookshop hoping to change your life, you'd be better off reading your horoscope.

Read More

Achieving happiness: 20 of the wisest tips from self-help books

When your spirits are low, a little piece of wisdom can go a long way. Here we condense some of the best self-development books ever written into 20 essential life lessons, writes Katie Byrne

Every so often you come across a book - or even just a quote - that changes your perspective, reframes your thoughts and empowers you to overcome the mental hurdles that have been holding you back.

Sometimes it's a profound sentence that helps you transcend your darker hours; sometimes it's a practical coping skill you can put in your toolbox for the next time life gets the better of you.

Bibliotherapy, as it is known, is proven to promote good mental health, but where to start? The selection in the 'Mind, Body, Spirit' section of your local bookshop can look overwhelming and it should be noted that some of these books are considerably more therapeutic than others. With this in mind, we've read through dozens of self-development classics and gleaned the most enduring and empowering advice the authors have imparted.

READ THE 20 TIPS 

What Do NICU Nurses Do?

Welcome to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit! We take care of the tiniest, and sometimes, sickest humans in the hospital. It is important to understand that premature infants are not only small, their entire body is premature and underdeveloped- their brain, their heart, their lungs, the GI system, their skin.

Ninety-eight percent of our days are great, but the 2% that are bad are really bad. Some days are feeding and cuddling babies that are close to going home, some days are holding a new mom’s hand as the team explains that it’s time for her to hold her baby while he dies. I love my specialty and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Read more at FreshRN

What If Mistakes Are Actually Awesome?!

I didn’t know you can’t microwave metal until I did it. I didn’t know internet lines run underground until I cut one with a shovel. I didn’t know high heels sink in dirt until I wore a pair to an outdoor wedding. And while all of these caused inconvenient experiences in my life, I learned from them. So how can mistakes really be all that bad? What if mistakes are actually awesome?
Read More at Positively Positive

NINR and MedlinePlus® Launch a Palliative Care Text Campaign

NINR and the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus® have teamed up to offer a text message campaign for those living with serious illnesses and their families. The campaign launched on February 5, 2018 and offers weekly messages about palliative care in English and Spanish.
Read More at NINH

Are you a 'night owl' or a 'morning lark'? Research reveals who will live longer

'Night owls' - people who stay up late and struggle to get out of bed in the morning - are more likely to die younger than 'morning larks'.

New research by the University of Surrey and Northwestern University in the US found that people who naturally stay up late were 10pc more likely to die within the six-and-a-half-year study period compared to those who preferred the morning.

Researchers say that the ongoing stress of operating in a 9-5 society was having a huge impact on millions and could be shortening their lives. "This is a public health issue that can no longer be ignored," said Malcolm von Schantz, a professor of chronobiology at the University of Surrey.

Read more from the Independent 

Could apprenticeships offer a way round the loss of the bursary?

Despite the increasing complexity of nursing practice, there is still a significant number of people who think nursing degrees are unnecessary. 

After all, who needs a degree – or even a diploma – to make beds with hospital corners and do what the doctor tells you? And that’s all nurses do, isn’t it? It must be true because Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail keeps on telling us it is.

The value of academic nurse education has been demonstrated time and again, in particular by the long-running international RN4Cast study. One key finding is that for every 10% increase in graduate nurses, there is a 7% reduction in the likelihood of an inpatient dying within 30 days of admission

Read more at Nursing Times

Understaffing: A Life or Death Problem

The notion that there is a relationship between nurse and patient satisfaction makes sense. As a nurse, you work longer shifts than just about any other professional on the planet. If you work a long shift in poor conditions with entirely too many patients, you’re more likely to make a mistake. And really, who could blame you? Burnout and exhaustion are both very real problems for nurses.

Tired Nurses Result in Lower Patient Satisfaction

The first things to go when anyone becomes overly tired include patience and compassion. A study sponsored by the National Institute of Nursing Research concluded that patient dissatisfaction is highest when nurses work more than 13 hours in a single shift. Unfortunately, understaffing is a common issue in medical institutions. So, it’s common for your employer to ask you to work double shifts. Statistics even show that a nurse working over 10 hours is nearly three times more likely to dissatisfy their patients than a nurse who works an eight-hour shift.

Understaffing: A Life or Death Problem

An unhappy patient or two because an exhausted nurse working a double shift wasn’t gushing with rainbows and sunshine is hardly the end of the world. Unfortunately, understaffing and overworked nursing staffs is a much deeper problem with more serious results. According to research from the University of Pennsylvania, it is a life or death problem.

Read More at scrubs blog

4 Easy Travel Nursing Tips That Any Nurse Can Use

Stay Healthy & Safe on the Go with These Travel Tips

Working as a nurse can be draining, so if you’re also traveling for work, you need to take some extra precautions to make sure that you don’t wear yourself down physically or financially. As exciting as helping people in another place can be, traveling as a nurse can get the better of you unless you’re taking proper care of yourself. If you’re on the road, you need to plan ahead, come up with a budget, and make sure you have what you need to stay healthy on the job.

Read More on the SCRUBS BLOG

A Major Turning Point for Mindfulness in Health Care

Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, comments on the first medical school division dedicated to studying the impact of meditation.

When I started at the UMass Medical Center in 1976, the idea that one day there would be a Division of Mindfulness within the Department of Medicine was virtually inconceivable. That it has come about is diagnostic of a new and increasingly widespread recognition of the deep potential synergies between the domains of medicine and meditation (the words themselves are obviously linked at the etymological hip) as well as recognition of the challenges involved in maintaining and optimizing human well-being and health across the lifespan.

Read More

'I'm 27 now. I don’t want to go. I love my life' - Woman's inspirational letter posted hours after her death is the most powerful thing you'll read today

A young woman’s inspiring letter of life advice has been published online by her family – hours after she died of cancer.

Holly Butcher (27) wrote a letter of advice to the world which outlined how people should never sweat the small stuff.

The Australian died last Thursday after her battle with Ewing's sarcoma, a cancer in and around the bones.
Her inspirational letter which her family posted on Facebook has now gone viral.

She asked people not to obsess about their body shapes, to nourish their bodies with fresh foods, and not to complain about the small things that can go wrong in life.
Holly advised people to spend their money on experiences, not things. To enjoy nature. To "eat the cake" with "zero guilt". To listen to music, to cuddle the dog.

"Far out, I will miss that," she wrote.

You can read her beautiful letter in full here