They didn’t vote for the trebling of abortions, for the refusal of pain relief for babies, nor for the proviso that doctors who refuse to comply must refer the mother on to one who will, writes Cora Sherlock.

Repealing the Eighth Amendment removed the ban on women accessing abortion in Ireland. But, one year on, issues such as the three-day waiting period mean that some women still cannot fully access the care they need, writes Joyce Fegan.

The HSE has apologised for a letter that was sent to GPs telling them mental health services in parts of North Dublin were being suspended.

Some GPs providing abortions services are being "intimidated" outside their practice "every single day."

The HSE has welcomed the agreement on GP contractual reforms involving the Department of Health, the HSE and the Irish Medical Organisation.

The Irish Medical Organisation has announced a €210m Government deal for general practice after long-running talks with the Department of Health.

Long-running talks to hammer out a new contract with GPs are set to conclude in the coming days, the Health Minister has confirmed.

We are the only country in Western Europe which doesn’t provide free, universal access to primary care, writes Victoria White

Irish family doctors admit to regularly over-prescribing antibiotics for acute respiratory infections, according to a new study.

The impact on tens of thousands of patients of escalating unrest in the health service continues today with members of the public asked not to use out of hours GP services as hundreds of family doctors gather in Dublin for a protest.

“Sorry, your relative died on a waiting list before their appointment came around.”

Almost half of Irish GPs believe they are ineffective in helping problem drinkers.

An “aggressive and unfair” validation of outpatient lists has been used to achieve a reduction in figures, a GP group claims.

Here's your morning bulletin.

GPs will meet tomorrow to discuss their concerns in the wake of the abortion referendum.

The association representing the bulk of the country’s GPs is holding an extraordinary general meeting tomorrow against a backdrop of no engagement with the Department of Health on how it plans to roll out a doctor-led abortion service.

Women will be able to access abortions here from January, the Taoiseach has said.

A doctors organisation still maintains cuts imposed on GPs’ fees to stabilise the State’s finances are far greater than that claimed by the Department of Health.

Government plans to extend GP visit cards for 40,000 family carers are coming under fire.

A number of doctors involved in the clinical validation of an IT system that cost €35m and has so far accrued around €1m in additional consultancy fees said it has had “a positive impact on the hospitals who have deployed it”.

A €35m IT system designed to improve care for mothers and babies and cut down on paperwork has created more work for staff and more room for error because of a failure to link it up with GP IT systems.

The HSE has paid over €540m to GP practices and out of hour services in fees and allowances last year, for treating medical card patients and providing services for other State health schemes.

Family doctors in Galway have been told by the laboratory manager at Galway University Hospitals not to refer patients for blood tests on the grounds that they do not provide a phlebotomy service for GPs.

The clinical biochemistry department at one of the country’s largest hospitals says it is unable to provide clinical advice or interpretation of test results due to a lack of consultant cover.

Private landlords’ group the Irish Property Owners Association (IPOA) has been reprimanded by the competition regulator over a press release and a meeting where it discussed levying new charges for tenants in response to government plans for rent controls.

Minister wants local doctors to take on some roles from hospitals, writes Elaine Loughlin.

A new study of people being treated for heroin use found that some of those who also had drink issues cut their alcohol intake when screened for excessive drinking by a GP.

The Irish Medical organisation has said GPs feel “taken for granted” in a wrangle which threatens to delay the start of a new programme of vaccinations due to begin in December.

Health Minister Simon Harris is set to make a fresh bid to convince GPs to move to isolated rural areas in return for state-paid salaried posts.

A new frontline health minister is needed to improve the country’s wellbeing, medics and patients have said.

Councillors want to enlist the support of GPs working in a part of Co Cork in an effort to force the National Ambulance Service (NAS) to provide better emergency cover for the local population.

Fine Gael is pledging to expand the Irish naval fleet from eight ships to nine if re-elected to office, the Irish Examiner can reveal.

The next government will inherit “a crisis of enormous proportions” in the health services, doctors have warned.

GERMANY: The 3,900kg granite head of Vladimir Lenin that was removed from a Berlin square in 1991 has been unearthed for an exhibition.

The impact of austerity cuts and the State’s contractually driven approach to the healthcare professions must change if hoped-for improvements are to be realised, writes Ray Kinsella

Over the last year, and it has seemed like that long, we’ve read several articles on the proposed new postal codes. 

The State’s new postcode will not deliver the value for money when it is launched next month, a senator and professor of economics at Trinity College has warned.