A round-up of other stories in brief
WOMEN'S MORTALITY:Two out of three deaths in women who smoke are caused by their nicotine addiction, according to the latest findings of a major British study which will be outlined to a conference in Cork tomorrow.
Data from the Million Women Study - one of the largest epidemiological studies ever carried out in Britain or Ireland - will highlight the huge impact that smoking has on the mortality rate of women.
The new paper, Smoking, Cancer and Mortality in the Million Women Study, will be one of more than 200 peer-reviewed papers presented during the two-day joint meeting of the Society for Social Medicine and the International Epidemiological Association (European Federation) at University College Cork (UCC).
CT SCANNER AT BANTRY:The installation of a new €500,000 Computed Tomography (CT) scanner at Bantry General Hospital (BGH) in west Cork has been welcomed as a major addition to the hospital service which will save about 1,000 patients from having to travel to Cork city for tests, writes Barry Roche.
BGH consultant radiologist Dr Trevor Parker said a CT scanner was an essential tool for the management and investigation of conditions such as stroke, dementia, orthopaedic work, unexplained confusion and cancers.
"The CT scanner is a crucial asset to Bantry General Hospital as it will mean a speedier and more effective patient diagnosis," said Dr Parker.
The HSE provided €300,000 towards the cost of the new scanner and the staff required to operate it while the remaining €200,000 capital cost was secured as a result of extensive fundraising by the Friends of Bantry General.
SMOKEFREE AWARD:The Office of Tobacco Control (OTC) has welcomed the achievement of the Irish Department of Health and Children in receiving a Global Smokefree Partnership (GSP) 2007 Extraordinary Award.
The award was presented to department officials at the international Towards a Smokefree Society conference in Edinburgh yesterday. The award recognises the department's role as a "key facilitator of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control [ FCTC] Article 8 Working Group which relates to the right of all people to protection from exposure to tobacco smoke".
The department achieved this distinction due to "exceptional and outstanding commitment" in developing the guidelines for the article. "As Ireland was the first country to implement national smokefree workplace legislation, the department was in a unique position to provide direction and guidance to other parties to the convention," the OTC said.
PUSH FOR EXTENDED HOURS:British Health Secretary Alan Johnson described GPs' opening times as an "anomaly" yesterday as he reaffirmed his government's commitment to extending out-of-hours availability.
He accepted there was too much of a "nine-to-five" attitude among family doctors and insisted they must work more in the evenings and at weekends.
His comments follow protracted efforts by ministers to get more GPs to provide out-of-hours services since the adoption of a new contract in 2004 allowing them to opt out.
"I think there is a bit of an anomaly that there is half-day closing on Wednesdays and Thursdays and you can't get to see a GP after you leave work," he said.
"Many GPs' practices are addressing that and opening on a Saturday morning. We want to see that more widespread."
MIGRAINE ACTION:A survey carried out by the Migraine Association of Ireland found that migraine is three times more common in women than in men. This year's Migraine Action Week will focus on the subject of migraine in women and how the condition can affect a woman's life.
To mark the week, the Migraine Association of Ireland has launched Migraine in Women, a 12-page leaflet designed to help women understand and manage their migraine more effectively.
Taking place this week, Sept- ember 10th-16th, Migraine Action Week aims to raise awareness for Ireland's 400,000 migraine sufferers and for the health professionals who treat the condition.
The association is holding an information day in the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis on Saturday.
For more information, contact the Migraine Association Helpline at 1850 200 378 or log on to www.migraine.ie