Brexit

1. The IMO calls on the EU and the Irish and UK Governments to ensure that in the Brexit negotiations the future relationship between the UK and Europe and the UK and Ireland protects and promotes cross border cooperation in healthcare and that any risks or barriers to collaboration are identified and addressed.

Proposer: International Affairs Committee

Status: Carried

2. The IMO calls on the Government, the EU and the UK to ensure that the mutual recognition of qualifications between the Republic of Ireland and the UK remain post Brexit.

Proposer: IMO Council 

Status: Carried

Social Media Regulations

3. The IMO calls on the Government and the European Commission to introduce a specific social media regulatory agency which will only licence companies that can ensure the security of children (through verification of identity when registering accounts) when using social media as well as ensuring that their platforms are not used for the exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                                                    Seconder: Dr Mick Molloy

Status: Carried

Medicinal Cannabis

4. The IMO calls on the Minister for Health to ensure that the use of medicinal cannabis is evidence-based and that medicinal cannabis products are subject to the same rigorous efficacy and safety tests as other authorised medicines.

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried

Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear Incidents

5. The IMO calls on the Department of Health and the HSE to fulfil their national and international obligations to develop and implement a strategy to respond to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incidents whether unintended or due to terrorist activity and which may result in mass casualties, including the provision of adequate resources.

Proposer: Dr Ina Kelly                                                                    Seconder: Dr Mary O’Riordan

Status: Carried

Alcohol and Pregnancy

6. That the IMO supports screening for alcohol in pregnancy.

Proposer: Dr Mary O’Mahony                                                    Seconder: Dr Ann Hogan

Status: Carried

Illegal Substances

7. This meeting calls on Government to establish an expert group to examine the potential benefits and harms associated with the de-criminalisation of small amounts of presently illegal substances for personal use.

Proposer: Dr Cathal O’Sullivan                                                    Seconder: Dr Garrett McGovern

Status: Carried

Addiction Services

8. The IMO urges the HSE to provide for adequate treatment facilities for drug users throughout Ireland.  The current situation places intolerable pressures on GPs and other medical professionals in their efforts to deliver treatment for these patients.

Proposer: Dr Garrett McGovern                                                                Seconder: Dr Cathal O’Sullivan

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment: The IMO urges the HSE to provide for adequate treatment facilities for drug and alcohol users throughout Ireland. The current situation places intolerable pressures on GPs and other medical professionals in their efforts to deliver treatment for these patients.

9. Following a number of recommendations from international experts recommending reduction of drug testing to monitor drug treatment programs and the apparent disregard of these recommendations by addiction service staff, this meeting calls on the HSE to establish a system of monitoring the frequency and appropriateness of such testing.

Proposer: Dr Garrett McGovern                                                                Seconder: Dr Cathal O’Sullivan

Status: Carried

Homeless Services

10. This meeting calls on the HSE to urgently discuss with the IMO approaches to best delivering general medical and drug treatment services to the homeless so as to ensure accessible basic health care for these most vulnerable citizens.

Proposer: Dr Cathal O’Sullivan                                                    Seconder: Dr Garrett McGovern

Status: Carried

Antimicrobial Resistance

11. The IMO calls on the Department of Health and the HSE to continue to fulfil their national and international obligations and prioritise the implementation of Ireland’s National Anti-microbial Resistance Strategy to minimise the emergence and spread of emerging multi drug resistant organisms (MDROs) such as Carbapenemase Producing Enterbacteriales (CPE), including the provision of adequate resources.

Proposer: Dr Ina Kelly                                                                    Seconder: Dr Mary O’Riordan

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO calls on the Department of Health, the HSE and the Department of Agriculture to continue to fulfil their own specific national and international obligations and prioritise the implementation of Ireland’s National Anti-microbial Resistance Strategy to minimise the emergence and spread of emerging multi drug resistant organisms (MDROs) such as Carbapenemase Producing Enterbacteriales (CPE), including the provision of adequate resources.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

12. Rates of sexually transmitted infections are increasing rapidly among our young people.  The IMO calls on the Department of Health, the Department of Education and the HSE to tackle this issue in a collaborative and evidence based way, using messages and messaging systems that are appropriate to the population concerned.

Proposer: Dr Anne Dee                                                                 Seconder: Dr Ina Kelly

Status: Carried

Vaccines

13. The IMO commends the sustained efforts by the medical profession and other healthcare professionals, the Department of Health and the HSE which has resulted in an increase in uptake among 12-13 year old girls in the current school year and calls for continued strong support for this cancer preventing vaccine in order to bring uptake rates above the national target of 85%.

Proposer: Dr Anne Dee                                                                 Seconder: Dr Anne Hogan

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment The IMO commends the sustained efforts by the medical profession and other healthcare professionals, the Department of Health and the HSE which has resulted in an increase in uptake of the HPV Vaccine among 12-13 year old girls in the current school year and calls for continued strong support for this cancer preventing vaccine in order to bring uptake rates above the national target of 85%.

14. The IMO calls upon all health professionals to strongly support the MMR vaccination programme with the aim of bringing uptake of MMR at 12 months of age and at 4-5 years of age to above 95% in order to eliminate Measles.

Proposer: IMO Public Health and Community Health Doctors Committee

Status: Carried

Mental Health

15. The IMO calls on the Minister for Health and the Inspector of Mental Health Hospitals to review legislation and regulations on “children admitted to adult units” so as to allow for limited flexibility which would allow for the admission of children to adult units when this is in the best clinical interest of the patient taking into account proximity to 18^th birthday and nature of illness.

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                                    Seconder: Dr Martin McMahon

Status: Carried

16. The IMO calls on the Minister for Health and the Minister of State with responsibility for older people, and the Inspector of Mental Health Hospitals to introduce specific guidance on approved centres which are designated for the treatment of behavioural complications of dementia that take into account the possible medical treatments that may be required for this vulnerable group.

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                                    Seconder: Dr Martin McMahon

Status: Carried

17. The IMO calls on the Minister for Finance to introduce taxation measures which incentivises employers to give meaningful employment to those with disability, including severe and enduring mental illness.

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                                    Seconder: Dr Martin McMahon

Status: Carried

FAST Campaign

18. The IMO calls on the Department of Health to re-introduce the FAST campaign to raise public awareness about stroke symptoms.

Proposer: Dr John Duddy                                             Seconder: Dr Tafadzwa Mandiwanza

Status: Carried

Pre Hospital Care

19. Recognising the vital important of pre hospital emergency care and the requirements under the future reconfiguration of trauma services in Ireland, the IMO calls on the Department of Health and the HSE to:

1. Review and publish the capacity of ambulance services required particularly in rural areas to meet the requirements of transport from hubs to clinical program sites
2. Appoint a Chief Paramedic Officer in Department of Health and
3. Introduce legislation to give regulatory functions to the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                                                             Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

Recognising the vital important of pre hospital emergency care and the requirements under the future reconfiguration of trauma services in Ireland, the IMO calls on the Department of Health and the HSE to:

1. Review and publish the capacity of ambulance services required particularly in rural areas to meet the requirements of transport from hubs to clinical program sites
2. Appoint a Chief Paramedic Officer in Department of Health and
3. Introduce primary legislation to strengthen regulatory functions to the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council

ACS National Clinical Program

20. The IMO condemns a national clinical program which does not police the repatriation element of the patient journey.  The IMO further states it is unacceptable that when the acute phase of a patient’s treatment is completed in the hub hospital that they be placed in a private ambulance and transported to the Emergency Department in their local hospital rather than a bed to bed transport taking place.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                                             Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried

Emergency Planning

21. The IMO calls on the HSE and the regional emergency management offices to engage with all Emergency Departments when exercises are being planned in the community so as to ensure opportunities for shared learning are maximised and that our entire health service is primed to respond in disaster situations.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                                             Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried

Emergency Department Targets

22. The IMO calls upon the Department of Health and the HSE to bring in a 6 Hour target from arrival to an Emergency Department to admission to a ward or discharge home that is resourced and achieved 95% of the time by all hospitals offering emergency medical services.

Proposer: Dr Peadar Gilligan                                       Seconder: Prof Trevor Duffy

Status: Carried

Violence against Healthcare Professionals

23. The IMO calls on the Department of Justice to introduce mandatory prosecution for those who assault any healthcare professional providing medical aid.

Proposer: NCHD Committee

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment 

The IMO calls on the Department of Justice to introduce mandatory prosecution for those who assault any healthcare professional or ancillary staff providing medical aid.

Protocol for Traumatic Incidents

24. The IMO calls on the HSE to ensure that a formal debrief of traumatic situations is available to all members of staff immediately after the incident occurs.

Proposer: NCHD Committee

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment 

The IMO calls on the HSE to ensure that a formal debrief of traumatic situations is available to all members of staff after the incident occurs in a timely manner.

Medical Council

25. The IMO opposes the proposed legislative changes which would allow the CEO of the Medical Council to initially investigate complaints against doctors instead of the Preliminary Proceedings Committee.

Proposer: Dr John Duddy                                             Seconder: Dr Tafadzwa Mandiwanza

Status: Referred to Council

Public Service Pensions

26. The IMO calls on Government to ensure that the value of in-payment pensions to the spouses of deceased public servants be index linked with reference to the pension value that would have been paid as at December 2010.

Proposer: Dr Seamus Healy                                         Seconder: Dr Tony Healy

Status: Carried

Visa Application Process

27. The IMO calls on the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to streamline the visa application process for foreign doctors which can act as a barrier to recruitment.

Proposer: NCHD Committee

Status: Carried

A Trauma System for Ireland

28. The IMO supports the full implementation of A Trauma System for Ireland as proposed by the Trauma Steering Group.

Proposer: Dr John Duddy                                             Seconder: Dr Tafadzwa Mandiwanza

Status: Carried

29. Following the publication of the report on A Trauma System for Ireland, the IMO calls on the Government to fully resource the services so as to ensure that Ireland is capable of staffing the Trauma Centres with suitably qualified medical staff particularly in circumstances where many hospitals are currently struggling to recruit and retain doctors.

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried

Training and CPD

30. This meeting calls on the IMO to support the recommendation of the European Commission that trainees in medical oncology, radiation oncology and cancer surgery should spend at least one month of mandatory structured training in each other’s specialty.

Proposer: Prof Niall O’Higgins                                     Seconder: Dr Seamus Healy

Status: Carried

31. The IMO calls for all Life Support Courses (ATLS, ACLS, APLS, PALS etc) to be run by all hospitals on a regular basis for all Medical, Nursing and Paramedical staff who are required to maintain certification in these.  Such essential training should be funded by the hospitals and not be funded from Consultant or NCHD CME funds.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molly                                               Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried

Tax Relief

32. The IMO calls on the Minister of Finance to provide tax relief on the costs associated with all mandatory expenses paid by doctors in order to allow them to practice.

Proposer: NCHD Committee

Status: Carried

System Errors

33. The IMO calls upon the HSE to ensure that systems errors are not blamed on individual doctors, and that priority is given to process improvement as opposed to scapegoating the individuals involved.

Proposer: NCHD Committee

Status: Carried

Gender Issues in Medicine

34. Research conducted by the IMO has shown that 88% of female doctors believe that gender is a factor in career progression.  The IMO calls on the Department of Health and the HSE to work with the IMO so as to ensure that gender no longer impacts on careers in the medical profession and that sufficient supports are in place to allow women to reach their full potential in their medical careers.

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried

Medical Manpower Crisis

35. Given the unprecedented difficulties in recruiting doctors to the public health services the IMO calls on Government to urgently negotiate sustainable and realistic measures to address the crisis of medical manpower.  The current situation whereby we have almost 500 vacant consultant posts, increasing rates of emigration of NCHDs and inability to fill GP lists means that patients are being deprived of services, waiting lists are growing and health reform is not possible.

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried as amended

Given the unprecedented difficulties in recruiting doctors to the public health services the IMO calls on Government to urgently negotiate sustainable and realistic measures to address the crisis of medical workforce. The current situation whereby we have almost 500 vacant consultant posts, increasing rates of emigration of NCHDs and inability to fill GP lists means that patients are being deprived of services, waiting lists are growing and health reform is not possible.

Health Capacity Review

36. In relation to the Health Capacity Review the IMO call on the Government to do the maximum required and not make piecemeal efforts over a prolonged period of time which is unsustainable given the current overcrowding and pressures in our health services.   The review is clear that investment across a number of key areas must take place in tandem including increases in acute beds and in community beds and investment in the provision of services in the GP setting. 

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried

37. The IMO supports the construction of stand-alone public hospitals for elective surgery, in order to ensure surgical patients receive treatment in a timely and efficient fashion.

Proposer: Dr John Duddy                                             Seconder: Dr Tafadzwa Mandiwanza

Status: Carried as amended

The IMO supports the construction of stand-alone public hospitals for elective, ambulatory and diagnostic care, in order to ensure patients receive treatment in a timely and efficient fashion.

38. The IMO calls upon the Department of Health and the HSE to acknowledge that the requirement for 2500 additional hospital beds for the acute hospital system is at the lowest end of the predictable needs of our population and is based on all current healthcare initiatives achieving their stated goals.

Proposer: Dr Peadar Gilligan                                       Seconder: Prof Trevor Duffy

Status: Carried

Breaches of Contract

39. The IMO expresses serious concern and disappointment at the ongoing strategy by Government to force doctors through the Courts to vindicate their contractual rights.  Not only is this an abuse of tax payer’s funds but it is a demonstration by the State that it has no intention of honouring contracts that have been negotiated and freely entered into.  Such action by successive Governments has directly led to the medical manpower crisis Ireland is now experiencing.

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried as amended

Amendment 

The IMO expresses serious concern and disappointment at the ongoing strategy by Government to force doctors through the Courts to vindicate their contractual rights.  Not only is this an abuse of tax payer’s funds but it is a demonstration by the State that it has no intention of honouring contracts that have been negotiated and freely entered into.  Such action by successive Governments has directly led to the medical workforce crisis Ireland is now experiencing.

Healthcare Reform, Investment and Contracts

40. The IMO calls on the Government to acknowledge that healthcare reform as outlined in Slaintecare and other reports requires a significant increase in the number of doctors Ireland needs to provide healthcare to the population and new contractual arrangements to facilitate the recruitment of doctors.  The IMO, as the only body representing all doctors in Ireland, calls on Government to enter into meaningful negotiations on contracts at an early date through normal industrial relations channels so that we can begin to address the chronic shortage of doctors in the system.

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried as Amended

The IMO calls on the Government to acknowledge that healthcare reform as outlined in Slaintecare and other reports requires a significant increase in the number of doctors Ireland needs to provide healthcare to the population and new contractual arrangements to facilitate the recruitment of doctors. The IMO, as the only body representing all doctors in Ireland, calls on Government to immediately rectify outstanding contract issues and enter into meaningful negotiations on contracts at an early date through normal industrial relations channels so that we can begin to address the chronic shortage of doctors in the system.