Members of the Joint Oireachtas Health Committee have expressed concern that the Department of Health is devising a draft plan to implement Sláintecare without any input from the yet-to-be-appointed head of the Sláintecare implementation office.

Maria Gilroy’s diet prevents her consuming foods most of us take for granted — meat, fish, poultry, cheese, milk, bread, flour, rice, pasta, yoghurt, chocolate.

After a series of false starts, a stroke unit at Cork’s biggest hospital is now to begin seeing patients in the New Year — nearly three years after its original opening date.

A stroke unit due to open in Cork last month after two years of delays will remain closed until at least September.

One of the country’s largest hospitals — which is already facing chronic overcrowding — has lost 24 surgical beds as part of plans to “improve efficiency” in the system.

THE doctor in charge of the reconfiguration of health services in the south has been asked to explain to a Dáil committee the existence of a “secret” group advising the Health Service Executive (HSE) on the project.

AN OIREACHTAS committee is to seek an independent review of the cases of women who underwent a controversial procedure during childbirth which left them with a litany of lasting health problems.

THE GOVERNMENT has been urged to amend the Fair Deal nursing home scheme after it emerged entire farm holdings could be confiscated by the state as payment for care.

IN response to Paul Mills’ column (Irish Examiner, June 16) I would like to counter the accusation that this Government - and Fianna Fáil in particular - are beholden to vested interests.

IRISH chemists made an opening bid yesterday for a series of new powers which would allow them prescribe for minor ailments and save the Exchequer €100 million a year.