HSE Partner Pack 10th March 2023

Health service updates and 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.

Take back control from smoking this March

The HSE is inviting people who smoke to take the 28-day no smoking challenge this March. Join thousands of others who have used the HSE QUIT service to stop smoking. To get your free QUIT plan and free support, including free NRT, sign up here.

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.

Getting ready for commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015: Webinar 21^st March 2023

This webinar, on 21st March from 12:30-2pm, is aimed at all HSE staff and HSE funded services and will focus on practical considerations for the commencement of the Assisted Decision-Making Capacity Act 2015. This includes information about the Decision Support Service (e.g. how to interact with the DSS, Codes of Practice, DSS Register), Wardship transition, Decision-Making Representative applications and other key issues.

Please find the registration details and further information on the webinar here.

This event is organised by the HSE National Office of Human Rights and Equality Policy and HSE Strategy and Research.

National Brain Awareness Week – Dementia: Understand Together

National Brain Awareness Week takes place from March 13th to 19th 2023. The Dementia: Understand Together campaign is encouraging everyone to make simple changes to help maintain brain health and reduce the risk of developing some types of dementia. It’s always a good time to improve brain health and reduce your risk of Dementia and adopting these habits in adulthood can play an important part in reducing risk, as well as developing good routines for life. 

A campaign partner pack is attached at the bottom of this message. Thank you for helping to share the campaign messages with your networks and members.

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.

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. 

Update on COVID-19

COVID-19 activity currently remains stable and low, but there is a risk of increases in Spring driven by new variants. This includes the XBB1.5 variant, which was originally detected in the North East United States but is now causing infection in Europe, including Ireland. This variant is highly transmissible. COVID-19 booster vaccines remain effective against severe disease and people are advised to ensure they are ‘up to date’ with their COVID-19 vaccine with appropriate boosters as recommended.

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.

Many thanks,

Kahlil & Katie

COVID-19 Stakeholder Engagement, HSE Communications