Palatine reached the Carlow SFC final after an 0-15 to 0-10 win over a fancied Rathvilly at Dr Cullen Park on Saturday and O’Hanrahan’s emerged 4-13 to 1-12 winners over Tinryland in a replayed quarter-final tie which required extra-time.

THE son of Evelyn Joel said he had seldom spoken to his mother in the months leading to her death.

THE medical board of Waterford Regional Hospital has warned that it is greatly concerned by “attempts to obstruct or frustrate” efforts to reorganise hospital services in the south east.

THE HSE said maternity services may end in hospitals in counties Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wexford as part of a “reconfiguration” process.

HSE plans to shake up hospital services across the south-east have been thrown into confusion with the resignation of the doctor leading the “re-configuration” process.

DOCTORS have claimed vital emergency department units & are being over- stretched because of “woefully inadequate” staff and low locum cover.

ALMOST two-thirds of general practitioners who were tested by their patients and peers in a pilot competency programme intend to make changes to their practice based on the feedback they received.

A SPECIAL meeting of the Medical Council will take place on January 16to discuss the implications of a High Court ruling that overturned its findings of professional misconduct against two obstetricians.

By ruling against the medical council’s findings, Mr Justice Kelly has cast a harsh spotlight on their disciplinary practices, writes Conor Ryan.

The Medical Council has elected Dr Colm Quigley as its new president.

FEEDBACK from 10,000 patients will be included in a pilot GP practice review, launched yesterday.

"HANG on to those, Gran. I’ll be back in a minute."

The West Cork Coroner has paid tribute to the heroic efforts of two Cork men who drowned in a rescue attempt last September.

FOR the first time ever, a person who is neither a doctor nor a member of the Medical Council, will chair a committee of the regulatory body for the medical profession.

A NATIONAL strategy to ensure doctors are fit to practice medicine has been published by the Medical Council in advance of new legislation that will make competence assurance mandatory.

TÁNAISTE and Health Minister Mary Harney is optimistic that negotiations between the Government and hospital consultants on a new contract can get underway again soon.

PLANS by Tánaiste and Health Minister Mary Harney to have a lay majority on a new Medical Council could jeopardise its independence, the council’s vice-president, Dr Colm Quigley, warned last night.

A team of medical professionals will make a second inspection of Cavan General Hospital to ensure problems have been addressed, it was confirmed tonight.

THE hospital where a Cavan schoolgirl died after a series of failures by medics and managers must be given the money to hire key personnel, the Medical Council has said.

Hospital consultants today urged health minister Micheál Martin to solve a dispute over insurance, after they postponed strike action for four weeks.

HOSPITAL consultants have called off next week's planned industrial action following a plea for peace talks with the Health Minister Mícheál Martin.

Patients across Ireland found their surgeries cancelled today as hospital consultants stepped up industrial action by halting work on a scheme to cut waiting lists.

Consultants vowed to step up their campaign of protest against the introduction of a new form of medical insurance today, after a ballot of union members overwhelmingly supported industrial action in hospitals across Ireland.

Consultants taking part in an escalating campaign of protest against a new form of medical insurance today warned the Government it must act now to prevent strike action at hospitals across Ireland.

Hospital consultants have warned they will withdraw from all but emergency services in three weeks time if a dispute over a new insurance scheme is not resolved.

HOSPITAL consultants warned yesterday that only a major injection of cash and staff would prevent further chaos in the country’s health services.

The President of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association has called on the Government to provide hospitals with staff, beds and equipment.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association has urged Health Minister Micheal Martin to make the first move to resolve the long-running dispute between the Government and public health doctors.

HOSPITAL consultants are coming under “unbearable” pressure to discharge patients early to make room for those awaiting admission in accident and emergency units, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association claims.