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THE JOINT COMMITTEE on Health and Children today launched a report today on end-of-life care and palliative care in Ireland.
The report’s publication follows a public consultation process and a series of committee hearings on the issues surrounding end-of-life care.
Late last year, the committee met with a range of stakeholders and experts, including The Irish Hospice Foundation, the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, the Irish Palliative Medicine Consultant Association, the Voluntary Hospices Group, and the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network.
Sharon Foley, CEO of the Irish Hospice Foundation, told the committee at the time that every year 29,000 people die, leaving an estimated 290,000 people bereaved. She also said the spend on palliative care in Ireland is “largely unplanned and uncoordinated”.
Dr Paul Gregan, palliative care consultant and GP, also emphasised the importance of considering care “from a physical, psychological, social and spiritual perspective”.
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“Care of the imminently dying is a smaller but extremely important part of what palliative care is about; much as care in pregnancy is not all about the birth, palliative care is not all about dying,” he added.
The report makes a number of recommendations including the development of a national strategy on palliative care, end of live and bereavement for the health sector as evidence suggests that expenditure in the health budget may be as high as €1.3 billion a year.
“A strategic approach would – at the very least – ensure that we spend our €1.3 billion in a more planned and focussed way,” the report says.
The committee report also points to disparities which exist in the provision and funding of specialist palliative care services in Ireland and recommended the government address this.
Speaking after the publication of the report, Sharon Foley said she hoped the government will act on its findings and put palliative care at the top of health and other policy agendas.
“It is the right of every person to die in comfort and dignity but this is something we must plan for,” she said.
“It is possible to secure high quality care for those facing death while also ensuring the very best use of resources. A national strategy on palliative care, end of life and bereavement, as recommended in today’s report, will play a key role in ensuring this.”
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And just how do they construe a situation whereby they have “depleted reserves” ……..what with all the rain lately and it also being a time when lots of visitors are expected to the islands you’d think……..awe. ….maybe not!
we were over that way last week staying in Doolin, it rained most of wednesday, hammered it down on thursday and didnt stop at all on friday , in fact the rain was that heavy the river went from being a couple of inches deep to nigh on 3 -4 ft deep by friday night . and it was all coming in from a seaward direction i.e. from over the islands.
Eric, across the bay in Sunny Spiddal, about 28km as the crow flies, Wednesday and Thursday were glorious days, albeit it did piss on Friday.
Dermot Ryan is correct, the Aran Islands and indeed quite a bit of coastal Connemara, experience less rainfall hours than most parts of Ireland. The annual insolation in these areas is on a par with Wexford.
Odd that reserves are low on Inis Oirr. They got a new lake recently that should have catered for demand. Restrictions are 8pm to 8am so its not too bad
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