New National Forensic Mental Health Service opens

Earlier this month, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly opened the new National Forensic Mental Health Service in Portrane, Co Dublin.

The forensic mental health campus will replace the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) in Dundrum and will provide care for 170 patients as well as community and prison in-reach services. A Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and an Intensive Care Rehabilitation Unit will also be located on site.

More about the announcement of the National Forensic Mental Health Service can be found here.

HSE encourages people to get their winter vaccines

The HSE is encouraging people to get their winter flu and Covid-19 vaccines to help protect themselves and their families and friends from serious illness.

Covid-19 vaccinations can be booked online and anyone who has had Covid-19 should wait four months post-infection before booking their appointment. Eligible groups for a flu vaccine should contact their GP or check with their local pharmacy. You can check which pharmacy is delivering flu vaccines via the pharmacy finder.

Further information on the eligibility for the flu and Covid-19 vaccines can be found on the HSE website.

National Nursing Home Experience Survey findings published

The findings of the first ever national survey of nursing home care in Ireland has been published.

The National Nursing Home Experience Survey was developed in collaboration with public and private home care providers.

The survey aimed to gather information from residents about their experiences of living in a nursing home and their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The National Nursing Home Experience Survey was conducted as part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health.

The findings will also be used by the Department of Health to inform the development of policy and strategy in relation to nursing home care, as well as informing national standards and HIQA’s regulation of nursing homes.

The full report is available on the YourExperience website.