AGM 2019

GENERAL MOTIONS

THURSDAY 25^th APRIL

 

VALUING DOCTORS

1. The IMO calls on the HSE, Department of Health, Department of Finance, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the cabinet to value doctors and to treat them fairly throughout their careers from medical student to retirement.

Proposer: IMO Consultant Committee

Status: Carried

 

CLIMATE CHANGE/ ENVIRONMENTAL

2. The IMO calls on the Government to incentivise sustainable and to penalise unsustainable energy provision and to mandate Government Departments and Agencies to prioritise the procurement of sustainable energy services urgently, in line with Ireland’s targets under COP21 for 2020.

Proposer: Dr Sandra Green                 Seconder: Dr Philippa White

Status: Carried

3. The IMO calls on the Government to increase investment in cycling and walking to 20% of the transport budget, in line with the recommendations by UNEP, and towards achieving sustainable development goals 3,7,11 and 13, air quality benefits, climate change mitigation and the benefits to health of active transport.

Proposer: Dr Sandra Green                 Seconder: Dr Philippa White

Status: Carried

 

NUTRITION

4. The IMO calls on the Government to prioritise access to healthy, sustainable and culturally appropriate food at all Government funded facilities, including healthcare facilities, taking consideration of the issues raised in the EAT Lancet Planetary Health Diet.

Proposer: Dr Sandra Green                 Seconder: Dr Philippa White

Status: Carried

 

ADDICTION SERVICES

5. This meeting calls on the HSE to ensure that its clinical guidelines for the treatment of opiate users are adequately peer reviewed and submitted to the National Clinical Effectiveness Committee without delay.

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

Status: Carried

6. This meeting calls on the HSE to provide evidence-based and accessible treatment options for patients suffering from benzodiazepine dependence.

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

Status: Carried

7. This meeting supports the principle that drug treatment is evidence-based and characterised by a culture of respect and dignity and the rights of patients to participate fully in their treatment.

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

Status: Carried

 

VACCINES

8. The IMO calls on the Minister for Health and the HSE to provide sufficient resources for the extension of the HPV Vaccination Programme in the 2019/20 School Year in order to achieve optimal uptake of this cancer preventing vaccine.

Proposer: Public Health and Community Health Doctors Committee

Status: Carried

 

CERVICAL CHECK

9. This AGM supports the Cervical Check Screening Programme and encourages all women to continue to participate in screening as it saves lives. 

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried

10. The IMO calls on the HSE and the Department of Health to redouble their efforts in explaining the value of screening programmes in terms of saving lives while noting the inherent limitations of such programmes

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO calls on the HSE and the Department of Health to redouble their efforts in promoting the value of screening programmes in terms of saving lives while clearly explaining the inherent limitations of such programmes

 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

11. The IMO calls on the Government to ensure that all “social media” companies and affiliates based in the Republic of Ireland are treated as publishing companies in regards to regulations on the protection of children. 

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                          Seconder: Dr Mick Molloy

Carried as Amended

Amendment The IMO calls on the Government to ensure that all “social media” companies and affiliates based in the Republic of Ireland are treated no less onorously than publishing companies in regards to regulations on the protection of children in the new proposed online safety act.. 

12. The IMO calls on the Government to establish statutory guidelines for "social media" companies and affiliates based in the Republic of Ireland in regards to Suicide Prevention and identification of vulnerable adults. 

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                          Seconder: Dr Mick Molloy

Status: Carried

 

LIFE EXPECTANCY

13. The IMO calls on the World Health Organisation to make the equalisation of life expectancy between women and men a global health priority.

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                          Seconder: Dr Mick Molloy

Status: Referred to Council

 

NEW REGULATIONS IN HEALTHCARE

14. The IMO calls on Government to ensure that when introducing any new regulation into the health sector that it is accompanied by an impact statement on the benefits and negative effects.

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                          Seconder: Dr Mick Molloy

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO calls on the Government to ensure that when introducing any new regulation into the health sector that adequate engagement with the medical profession has taken place and it is accompanied by an impact statement on the benefits and negative effects, including resource implications to the healthcare system

 

SPORTS FACILITIES

15. The IMO calls on Government to review investment in sports facilities and sporting organisations at non elite level, non-competitive level, community and school level to improve participation levels in exercise and in the overall health of society.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                  Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried

 

DATA FOR HEALTH SERVICE PLANNING

16. This AGM calls on the Minister for Health, the Department of Health and the HSE to review the rules and methodology around the gathering of data for the HIPE system so as to ensure that the data accurately reflects all patients including those admitted on trolleys in Emergency Departments.

Proposer: Dr Christine O’Malley                      Seconder: Dr Paddy Hillery

Status: Carried

17. The IMO has concerns that OECD data on healthcare is not capturing all the relevant information so as to accurately reflect the expenditure and level of activity across the health system both public and private.  It is imperative that, if such data is to be used for the purpose of health service planning, it be accurate and reliable.

Proposer: Dr Christine O’Malley                      Seconder: Dr Paddy Hillery

Status: Carried

 

NATIONAL ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS

18. The IMO calls on Government to ensure there is a national electronic patient record put in place in all publicly funded health services in Ireland.

Proposer: Dr Matthew Sadlier                          Seconder: Dr Mick Molloy

Status: Carried as Amended

The IMO calls on Government as a matter of urgency, and in light of the substantial risk to patient safety, to ensure there is a national electronic patient record put in place in all health services in Ireland.

 

SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS FOR HEALTHCARE STAFF

19. Fatigue amongst doctors and other healthcare staff is a danger to both the staff member and patients and the IMO calls on the Minister for Health and the HSE to immediately work with the IMO and Postgraduate Training Bodies to develop, resource and support policies to create a safer and healthier environment.

Proposer: NCHD Committee

Status: Carried

20. The IMO calls on the HSE to provide care pathways for violent and/or abusive patients to be treated in primary care, secondary care and community settings.  Such pathways must adequately protect healthcare workers, other staff and patients from harm.  The IMO further calls on the HSE to designate a national officer to be responsible for the administration of protocol and the maintenance of a national register of such incidents.

Proposer: IMO NCHD Committee

Status: Carried

 

COMPASSIONATE LEAVE

21. The IMO calls on the HSE to re-engage with the Staff Panel of Trade Unions on the issue of compassionate leave and to provide arrangements for such leave which match those arrangements available to civil service employees.

Proposer: IMO NCHD Committee

Status: Carried

 

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEST

22. The IMO calls on health service employers to review their requirements for an English Language test when applied to Irish citizens educated here to the level of Leaving Certificate English who find they now have an additional barrier to employment because they went overseas to gain access to medical school.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                  Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO calls on health service employers to review their requirements for an English Language test when applied to anyone educated here to the level of Leaving Certificate English or equivalent who find they now have an additional barrier to employment because they went overseas to gain access to medical school.

 

 CAPACITY

23. The IMO calls on the Government to resource and enact a 6 Hour Target for Emergency Departments in line with the recommendations proposed by the IMO.

Proposer: Dr Peadar Gilligan                             Seconder: Dr Paddy Hillery

Status: Carried

24. The IMO calls on Government to invest in an accelerated programme of Acute Hospital Capacity not at the minimum requirement of 2,600 additional beds but at a more realistic 5,000 bed requirement level to meet patient demand and to ensure doctors can treat patients appropriately.

Proposer: IMO Consultant Committee

Status: Carried

25. The IMO calls on the Department of Health and the HSE, in advance of any reconfiguration of services, to examine and publish details of the expected flow of patients and additional resources required to be put in place to appropriately manage the patients.

Proposer: Dr Christine O’Malley                      Seconder: Dr Paddy Hillery

Status: Carried

26. The IMO calls upon the Government to urgently review their commitments with respect to development of retrieval services in order to ensure capacity and capability to provide a robust and consistent national critical care retrieval service, particularly for areas which are outside of the recommended travel times to Trauma Centres/Units.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                  Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried

27. The IMO calls on Government to urgently review the constraints which need to be overcome for 24/7 access to onsite HEMS service to avoid road transfers to pre-identified landing sites.

Proposer: Dr Mick Molloy                  Seconder: Dr Matthew Sadlier

Status: Carried

 

OPEN DISCLOSURE

28. The IMO calls on the Government to provide appropriate resources across the health system to support both patients and healthcare professionals in the Open Disclosure process including:

• Clear guidance and comprehensive training for healthcare professionals
• Appropriate emotional and psychological supports and liaison staff
• Adequate resourcing of incident and risk management teams
• Resources to allow doctors to be released from clinical duties and to engage in training, open disclosure meetings, investigations and risk management teams

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Referred to Council

29. The IMO calls for a review of the current procedures for open disclosure under the Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017 to ensure that they are fit for purpose and do not negatively impact on the patient-doctor relationship, before moving to a system of mandatory open disclosure.

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Amended and Referred to Council

Amendment

The IMO calls for a review of the current procedures for open disclosure under the Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017 to ensure that they are fit for purpose and do not negatively impact on the patient-doctor relationship, before moving to a system of supported and resourced open disclosure.

30. The IMO calls on the Government to ensure that hospital managers are held to the same level of accountability as medical professionals.

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried as Amended

Amendment

The IMO calls on the Government to ensure that healthcare managers are held to the same level of accountability as medical professionals

31. In light of a recent high profile case in the UK, the IMO are calling on the Government and the Medical to ensure that doctors are protected from inappropriate criminal proceedings when acting in good faith and disclosing and reporting serious patient safety incidents.

Proposer: IMO Council

Status: Carried as Ammended

Amendment

In light of a recent high profile case in the UK, the IMO are calling on the Government and the Medical Council to ensure that doctors are protected from criminal proceedings when acting in good faith and disclosing and reporting serious patient safety incidents.

Cannabis

32. Cannabis is now the most common reason for new referrals to addiction services nationally. There is a view among many young people that Cannabis is a safe recreational drug that can be used with no consequences. There is no national campaign advising the dangers of Cannabis use especially in young adolescents. We call on the Dept. of Health to stop abrogating its responsibilities and organise a resourced campaign highlighting the dangers of Cannabis use.

Proposer: Dr Ray Walley

Seconder: Dr Tadhg Crowley

Status: Carried

 

Vitamin and Supplement Regulation

33. In the UK greater than 1 in 8 admissions to hospitals are due to drug interactions. It is likely to be similar in Ireland. Many of these are unrecorded vitamin or supplements taken by patients inadvertently on foot of misinformation provided by the alternative medicines industry. We call on the Minister for Health to ensure that there is more regulation on health food stores/purveyors of these products especially in light that the FSAI have indicated concern with the exponential use of these products in the absence of evidence of need and that they only advise the need for Folate and Vitamin D in specific circumstances.

Proposer: Dr Ray Walley

Seconder: Dr Sumi Dunne

Status: Carried

 

International Affairs

34. The IMO calls on MEPs to ensure that health is placed high on the EU agenda in line with Health Check the CPME (Standing Committee of European Doctors) manifesto for the European Elections

Proposer: International Affairs Committee

Status: Carried