HSE and MTU promoting mental health literacy among students
Many students experience ongoing stress, anxiety, low mood and sleep difficulties. The HSE and Munster Technological University (MTU) are encouraging students to make the connection between these difficulties and their mental health and to seek help at the earliest opportunity from MTU and HSE’s wide range of services and resources including online tools at yourmentalhealth.ie/
Women’s health “Menopause, Let’s Talk About It” campaign
This campaign is a second phase of the Government-led drive to inform and educate everyone about menopause. The Department of Health Women’s Health Taskforce has developed a nationwide campaign, aimed at women and everyone in their lives, encouraging them to remove the taboo around menopause by talking about it.
This campaign will run from 11 March to 16 April across TV, Radio, Streaming, Social Media, Online and Search. Please help us get the message out to as many people as possible by sharing the social media posts across your social media channels.
More information is included in the campaign pack available at the bottom of this message, thank you for helping to share the campaign with your networks.
Norovirus cases on the rise in Ireland
The HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is asking people to be aware of the symptoms of norovirus and to learn how to help stop the spread of infection as cases of the virus are increasing in Ireland. Norovirus, also known as winter vomiting bug, is an easily spread virus that causes sudden onset of vomiting and diarrhoea.
In the first 10 weeks of 2023 there have been 394 cases of norovirus recorded. This is almost four times the number of cases recorded in the first 10 weeks of 2022 (109). Young children and elderly people have been the most affected with half of cases (50%) aged over 65 years and (28%) of cases aged under 5 years.
Tips to prevent spread of Norovirus:
- Frequent handwashing including before eating or preparing food and after using the bathroom.
- Thoroughly clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces immediately after an episode of illness by using a bleach-based household cleaner.
- Immediately remove and wash clothing or linens that may be contaminated with virus after an episode of illness (use hot water and soap).
- Flush or discard any vomit and/or faeces in the toilet and make sure that the surrounding area is kept clean.
The public are being urged to visit the HSE website to find out more about the norovirus. In addition, new guidance on managing norovirus in residential care settings has been published by the HPSC here.
Injury Unit and Acute Medical Assessment Unit open at Wexford General Hospital
The Emergency Department in Wexford General Hospital remains closed.
While the Emergency Department remains closed, an Injury Unit and an Acute Medical Assessment Unit are open in the hospital’s Emergency Department Building.
The Injury Unit is open from 8am to 6pm, seven days a week, and can treat patients from three years of age and older for minor injuries like broken bones, sprains, wounds and minor scalds and burns. Call ahead on 053 9153313 to check the injury unit is the right place for you.
The Acute Medical Assessment Unit is open from 8:30am to 7pm, seven days a week, for patients aged 16 and older and treats chest pain, heart failure, chest infections, headaches, seizures, collapse and more. Access to the unit will require a GP referral.
These services are temporary measures until the hospital’s Emergency Department becomes fully functional again.
For more information, please visit hse.ie/WexfordHospital
Steps to Health challenge 2023 – registration now open!
Steps to Health encourages staff to get out walking and counting their daily steps to improve their physical and mental health. Registration is now open. The challenge will take place from May 8th – June 11th 2023 so register your team now at hse.ie/stepschallenge.
Want to participate?
- Form a team of between 2 and 10 participants
- Choose a team co-ordinator and a team name
- Your team co-ordinator can register your team and order step counters if you need them, up until 19 April.
Visit hse.ie/stepschallenge for more information
New CEO of the HSE
Bernard Gloster has taken up the position of Chief Executive of the HSE on March 6th. Mr Gloster’s appointment was announced last December. He is moving to the HSE from state Child and Family Agency Tusla, where he was Chief Executive.
Before joining Tusla as CEO in September 2019, Mr Gloster spent more than 30 years working in the health services, holding frontline and senior management positions.
HSE Talking Health and Wellbeing Podcast Episode 3: Tobacco Free Ireland
In this episode listen to a ‘We Can Quit’ Community Facilitator, and to the HSE’s Public Health Clinical Advisor on Tobacco who shares his thoughts about the current smoking and vaping situation in Ireland today and the plans for a Tobacco Free Ireland. The podcast is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and on the HSE Health and Wellbeing YouTube channel.
HSE Talking Health and Wellbeing Podcast Episode 4: Men’s Health
In this podcast episode Dr. Noel Richardson discusses the rationale behind men’s health, how masculinity plays a role in men’s help seeking behaviours, and some of the new initiatives developed in recent years to improve men’s health. Noel also reflects on his own Parkinson’s diagnosis and what that taught him about men’s health. The podcast is available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or on the HSE Health and Wellbeing YouTube channel.
Dementia: Understand Together launching new dementia inclusive community symbol
On Tuesday 28th March, Minister Butler will launch the New Dementia Inclusive Community symbol. The symbol has been developed with people with dementia at its heart. By displaying it in our communities, we hope to raise awareness for dementia and also show solidarity with more than 64,000 people living with the condition in Ireland.
More information and resources are included in the pack available at the bottom of this message, or you can visit www.understandtogether.ie/get-involved
Healthy Ireland “Hello Again World” Campaign
Healthy Ireland has developed a nationwide campaign, aimed at older people who may not have fully re-integrated into their communities after the pandemic, encouraging them to rebuild their social connections.
This campaign will run from 1 March to 2 April across TV, Radio, and Social (Facebook).
A campaign partner pack is attached at the bottom of this message. Help get the message out to as many people as possible, please share the campaign content across your social media channels and website.
National Brain Awareness Week – Alcohol and the brain
This Brain Awareness Week, let’s celebrate the wonders of our brain. Did you know that alcohol affects the brain in different ways? These include:
- Lowering the level of serotonin in the brain, which can lead to depression
- Stopping new brain cells developing
- Damaging nerve cells and blood vessels in the brain
- Learn more about the effects of alcohol on the brain: #AskAboutAlcohol
Mental health and wellbeing of people from migrant communities in Ireland
A new module has been designed to help staff to develop a broader cultural awareness regarding the mental health and wellbeing of people from migrant communities in Ireland. It is relevant to all staff of the HSE and HSE funded agencies whose role may include supporting or interacting with people from migrant communities.
You can find the module here.
Update on the Integrated Finance Management and Procurement System (IFMS)
IFMS will provide a single national finance management and procurement system for the entire health sector, including the HSE, Tusla, and section 38s and 39s. It will provide standard processes and a new operating model based on shared services.
You can find more information about the IFMS project here, and the latest IFMS project newsletter is available here.
HSE Data Breach Notification Programme
In November 2022 the HSE started to contact people whose information was illegally accessed and copied during the cyber-attack in May 2021 on HSE systems. The HSE is continuing to write to those who need to be notified under GDPR. Due to the numbers involved we began to notify approximately 113,000 people all over the country in this phased way from November. These letters will continue to issue over the coming weeks and we anticipate we will have contacted everyone by April 2023. Please find a link to all of the information about the Data Breach Notification Programme here.
The Laura Brennan HPV vaccine catch-up programme
An advertising campaign to promote The Laura Brennan HPV vaccine catch-up programme is currently live. Clinics are being set up around the country to allow young people who didn’t get the HPV vaccine when it was offered to them in school, to get it now for free as part of the catch-up programme. Appointments are available to anyone who hasn’t got the HPV vaccine and is:
- female age 16 to 24 years
- male age 16 or older who started 1st year of secondary school, homeschool or a special school between 2019 and 2021
You can find more information at hpv.ie
An updated campaign partner pack with new campaign assets is attached at the bottom of this message.
COVID-19 information
COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 6 months to 4 years
COVID-19 vaccination is available to children aged 6 months and older to give them protection against serious COVID-19 illness.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has recommended COVID-19 vaccination for children aged 6 months to 4 years with underlying conditions that place them at higher risk of severe COVID-19.
NIAC has also recommended that COVID-19 vaccination should be offered to all others in this age group to protect them from severe disease, provide extra protection from the rare risks of serious illness from COVID-19 (e.g. multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children), as well as providing the modest benefit in reducing household transmission to those immunocompromised or too young for vaccination.
NIAC has also stressed the safety profile of the vaccine and the comparable immunogenicity to that in older children and adolescents.
The HSE has provided information on our website here to help parents make an informed decision.
You can find out how to book your child’s COVID-19 vaccine appointment here.
Clinic details will be updated on www.hse.ie on a rolling basis so parents are advised to check the website for updates on clinic availability in the coming weeks.
Get your COVID-19 booster vaccine
It’s important that all eligible people avail of the COVID-19 booster to protect themselves and those around them from serious COVID-19 illness.
All people in the 18-49 years age group are eligible for their second COVID-19 booster, provided it is six months since their last vaccine or since they had a COVID-19 infection.
The HSE strongly urges people who have not yet received a COVID-19 booster vaccine to check their vaccine status and to do so as soon as possible. You can do this by contacting HSELive on 1800 700 700.
Booster COVID-19 vaccines are available at Community Vaccination Centres, participating GPs and pharmacies and information on getting your booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is available here.
Advice for people at higher risk from COVID-19
You should contact a doctor urgently if you are at higher risk and you have COVID-19 symptoms or you have a positive COVID-19 PCR or antigen test.
Some people who are at higher risk from COVID-19 may be recommended for treatments. If your doctor decides that treatment is right for you, you’ll start treatment as soon as possible. Treatment for COVID-19 is free of charge through the HSE if it is recommended for you.
If COVID-19 treatment is not recommended for you, your doctor will provide you with the care that is right for your condition and symptoms.
You can find more information here and also information on how to stay safe here.
COVID-19 vaccine resources
The HSE produces and regularly updates resources for the COVID-19 vaccine. You can visit the COVID-19 vaccine materials page for the latest leaflets and booklets including information on boosters and vaccines for children.
COVID-19 Testing
Details are available here.
COVID-19 information in other languages
Visit hse.ie/translations for a range of COVID-19 vaccine information videos and resources that have been produced in other languages, including information on COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy.
Information videos on COVID-19 vaccination for parents of children aged 5-11 are available here.
Public Health resources
Health service information for Ukrainian nationals
- Updated mental health supports information is here
- Disability services information is here
- Healthcare services information is here
- COVID-19 information is here
- COVID-19 vaccination video, Dr Oksana Kozdoba, a Pediatrician from Ukraine, shares information about the vaccination programme in Ireland. She covers the vaccines offered in Ireland to protect babies, school children and adults.
COVID-19
For updated information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to:
https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/. Clinical and professional guidance relating to COVID-19 is available on www.hpsc.ie where you’ll find up to date guidance for healthcare settings and non-clinical settings.
Please check here for partner resources for COVID-19.
You can find translated resources here.
You can find the COVID-19 A-Z information here from the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
You can view the latest information on how Ireland is responding to cases of COVID-19 here.
Ireland’s COVID-19 Data Hub is available here.
If your organisation has any requests in relation to COVID-19 public health information materials, please reply directly to this email to let us know.
Downloads:
- 2023 Healthy Ireland HelloAgainWorld Partner Pack (Download)
- HPV Vaccine Partner Pack Feb (Download)
- Dementia Inclusive Communities symbol launch partner pack (Download)
- 2023.03.06 Menopause 2 Partner Pack Draft V3 (Download)
- 2023 Brain Awareness Week – Partner Pack (Download)