Junior doctors urged to ‘know their limits’ on Black Wednesday

Junior doctors have been urged to “know their limits” to prevent an expected rise in death rates as more than 6,000 medical graduates start their first hospital jobs.

Today has become known as “Black Wednesday” because mortality rates rise by an average of around six per cent when new trainees start work and other junior doctors swap specialties.

Studies have shown that patients admitted as an emergency on the first Wednesday in August – during the changeover – are six per cent more likely to die than on the previous Wednesday.

For those suffering heart attacks and strokes the figure is yet higher, with an 8 per cent increase in deaths.

Enough is enough – carers need cherishing not cuts

 Spare a thought for the thousands and thousands of carers in Ireland

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Tom Curran and Marie Fleming

The death last week of popular RTE sports broadcaster Colm Murray at the age of 61 after a battle with motor neurone disease saddened the nation. It was impossible not to have been touched watching the repeat of the TV documentary on Sunday night on his valiant fight to find a cure for the illness that takes the lives of more than 100 people in Ireland each year.

Colm was diagnosed three years ago and in recent months was totally incapacitated and needed full-time care. He died peacefully at home in Dublin surrounded by his family. As well as the care of his medical team he was lovingly looked after by his devoted wife, Anne.

A case of another well-known broadcaster being cared for by his wife was highlighted at the weekend. The BBC’s political presenter and commentator, Andrew Marr, spent two months in hospital after suffering a stroke in January, and his wife Jackie Ashley became his full-time carer.

Have you had to take away the car keys of a relative with failing eyesight?

When did you last have an eye test?

When did you last have your eyes tests? Picture: Denise Bradley When did you last have your eyes tests? Picture: Denise Bradley

Tuesday, August 6, 2013
8:11 AM

Drivers are ducking eye tests with some who need glasses at the wheel often declining to use them, says a survey.

Eye test for drivers

A quarter of drivers may not have had an eye test in the past two years. When did you last have your eyesight tested?

 

As many as 26pc of drivers have not had an eye test in the last two years, the poll by road safety charity Brake showed.