54 Health Matters
News // Dublin mid-leinster + Dr Deena Ramiah, Local GP; Frank Mills, HSE General Manager; Catherine Hanley, Public Health Nurse; Minister Mary Harney TD; Gerry O’Neill, HSE Local Health Manager; Roseanne Duffy, Physiotherapist and David Tully, HSE TDO Primary Care Services
Naas General Hospital Launches Act F.A.S.T Campaign
Minister Welcomes Launch of four Primary Care Teams for Clondalkin Mary Harney TD, Minister for Health and Children, launched four new Primary Care Teams for Clondalkin recently and referred to the event as “another milestone in the life of the Clondalkin Health and Social Care Network”. The four new teams will work with the existing team from the Dunawley/Deansrath area in forming the Health and Social Care Network for the area. The Clondalkin Primary Care Teams aim to provide easier access to health services for people in the area. The services include: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, public health nurses, social workers and network services such as dietetics, mental health services, psychology, and speech and language services which, coupled with excellent GP participation, provides Clondalkin and the surrounding areas with a very comprehensive service. The Primary Care information leaflet was also launched at the event. The leaflet outlines the work of the team and the range of services now available to the communities. If you require a leaflet, please contact David Tully at (01) 620 6310.
HSE and External Services Co-operate to Safeguard Children
+ At the Keeping Safe Accreditation Ceremony Back row, L-R: Maria Larkin, Child Care Manager; Fionnuala Greening, Course tutor; Sandra Neville, Diocese of Meath; Majella Loftus, HSE Children and Families Services National Office; Charney Weitzman, Course Co-ordinator and Tutor; Front row: Finola Colgan, Mental Health Ireland; Máire Whelan, National Learning Network; Anne Murray, HSE Limerick; and Helen O’Connor, Irish Wheelchair Association At a recent ceremony in Tullamore, nine trainers who completed the Keeping Safe
Training for Trainers programme were awarded certificates of credit in Child Protection Training – Delivery and Evaluation and Child Protection Training – Theory and Skills. A further 16 participants who also completed the Keeping Safe Disability Awareness Training for Trainers programme were awarded certificates in Child Protection Training – Disability Awareness. ‘Keeping Safe’ child protection training aims to assist organisations to raise awareness of issues of child protection. It also gives those in organisations working with children a firm grasp of the various components that are involved in the development of a child protection policy, in line with the documents Children First and Our Duty to Care. The cooperative model used in the Midlands is now being rolled out nationally, with four further Training for Trainers programmes planned across the HSE, and supported by the office of Phil Garland, Assistant National Director Children and Families Services.
+ Staff at Naas General Hospital attending the F.A.S.T. Campaign day In May, the Naas General Hospital stroke team rolled out the Act F.A.S.T campaign across Kildare to reduce death and disability from stroke. The Act F.A.S.T. campaign, the biggest ever run by the Irish Heart Foundation, is expected to have a huge impact on stroke outcomes by getting more people to recognise key warning signs and seek emergency treatment when the disease strikes. In 2008, 61 people died out of more than 140 people who were treated for a stroke in Kildare. Nationally, almost 2,200 people died in the same period from around 10,000 cases of stroke. Racehorse trainer and TV presenter Ted Walsh officially launched the campaign, which had brief presentations from the Naas General Hospital management team, the Irish Heart Foundation and the stroke multidisciplinary team. The Kildare campaign also included a Stroke Awareness Day in the local Boots Pharmacy, run by the Naas Hospital stroke team. It was promoted via local radio and newspaper media. The F.A.S.T. acronym has been developed to inform the public about the key symptoms of a stroke: Face – has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile? Arms – can they raise both arms and keep them there? Speech – is their speech slurred? Time – Call 999 if you see any of these signs.