Dr Leslie O’Looney , 2025-04-23 07:30:00
Welcome to this week’s issue of The Week in Medicine – a round-up of all the happenings in the world of Irish medicine
Dr Dermot J. Ward
I have sad news to begin this week’s LOL which is that a former contributor to Irish Medical Times, Dr Dermot J. Ward, has passed on after a long illness. He was 91 and died without any pain or distress. His funeral will be held at Chichester Crematorium, Westhampnett Road, Chichester, (PO19 7UH), UK on Thursday, May 15 at 2.30 pm, followed by a reception from 3.30 pm at Chichester Harbour Hotel (formerly The Ship), 57 North Street, Chichester PO19 1NH.
Dermot was a psychiatrist and a stalwart of the paper. His passing spurred me to look at some of his pieces for IMT and we’ve published one in this newsletter as typical of the man and his writing. So please enjoy ‘Anti-Depressants aren’t Anti-Depressants’ – one of those timeless pieces that were his hallmark.
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Dr Leslie O’Looney, as envisaged by AI
There was a very interesting piece in the Irish Times recently on Anton Tohill – the Derry GAA player who is now a medical student and working within the GAA to promote suicide-prevention, openness and talking about problems before they overwhelm the individual. A good story about a future doctor and his perspectives – you can read it here
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Another great story that emerged into the national consciousness recently – on RTÉ on this occasion – was Jerry Cowley’s initiative in Mayo – St Brendan’s Village – which represents a completely different model for looking after older people.
St Brendan’s was established 30 years ago by Dr Jerry Cowley is his home parish of Mulranny in Co. Mayo. It is now the ‘full Monty’ in terms of providing supports for older people – sheltered housing, meals on wheels, and other services that allow them (and disabled people) to live in the area in which they grew up in, and to which they have family and social connections.
Mark Mellett, the retired vice-Admiral and former chief-of-staff of the Irish Defence Forces is chair of the Sage Advocacy – a charity that advocates on behalf of older people who want to stay at home said at a conference in Mayo:
“Care of older people tends to be more institutionalised into nursing homes, whereas what we see here is the creation of smart, sustainable and intergenerational communities, to creat3e a powerful resource that allows older people to thrive and the reciprocity of their knowledge over decades being shared with others,” he said.
Dr Ann Coyle – a former planner with the HSE said the focus of the centre was on ‘having a good life, rather than just being cared for’.
“We owe it to young people to support them and use our wisdom and our knowledge to do that. We have drifted a lot from the social cohesion that we once took for granted. We have now to build that back, in an intentional way,” she said.
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America has always been a source of fascination for the Irish – whether we emigrated there or simply admired it from a distance. We loved from the start the hamburgers, the rock n’ roll, the cars, the movies, but one thing we don’t miss at all is the idea of healthcare as a business.
The US has no such luck and this week, the private equity company that took over four hospitals in Delaware County, Pennsylvania announced they would close the last two hospitals in the system within 30 days.
The government and AG of Pennsylvania have tried for two years to keep Crozer-Chester Medical Centre and Taylor hospital open, but ultimately had to accept the inevitable.
Prospect Medical Holdings filed for bankruptcy and thousands of employees who work for Crozer Health received emails on Monday notifying them that they were out of a job. This despite the offer of a cash injection from state, local government and philanthropic organisations.
“Yet again, Prospect decided to put profits over patients by putting Crozer’s assets up for auction,” said Senator Tim Kearney, who represents the area. Delaware County had to declare seven-day disaster emergency as the hospital began the process of moving patients to facilities in surrounding communities.
It’s incomprehensible to Europeans that a hospital could close down in this way. But that’s what happens when healthcare is purely business, nothing personal.
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This coming Friday, a major milestone in community-led health and wellbeing will be celebrated in Co. Sligo as Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD, officially opens the Hello GoodLife Health & Wellbeing Hub at 1:00pm in Ballinalack Community Park, Bunninadden.
This is Ireland’s first community-inspired and community-led holistic health hub, made possible through LEADER funding. Designed by Martina Calvey, the model represents a ‘bold and innovative’ approach to preventative healthcare.
The local community led the creation of this hub for the people of their locality and county, and now run it as a social enterprise for the benefit of public health and wellbeing.
The hub features a 14-machine power-assisted exercise circuit – 12 machines plus two additional units specifically designed for wheelchair users. The machines include a rehabilitation function ensuring accessibility and ease of use for people of all ages and abilities, including older adults, those living with chronic health conditions and anyone seeking to stay well and active.
More than just a physical space, the Hello GoodLife Hub provides opportunities for connection, conversation and community-building, making it a truly holistic health and wellbeing resource.
Building on the success of the Castlebar and Roscommon Hello GoodLife hubs, the initiative is already improving lives and is being heralded as a model of best practice in preventative healthcare. And we wish them the best of luck and many years of operation.
