Pictured from left to right are Ms Kathy Sienko - Deputy Executive Diector of Nursing Affairs, Annette Russell Head Nurse C3, Sheena Ewing HN E1, Dr Rashed Sulaiman Al Rashed Alhmaid Chief Operating Officer, Ilsa Akermann HN C2 and Ms Judy Moseley Executive Director of Nursing Affairs.

Dr Rashed Sulaiman Al Rashed Alhmaid, Chief Operating Officer at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Riyadh provided an overview of achievements accomplished through implementation of the 100 Day Project. The team were recognised for the completion of the 100 day project within the specified timeframe and the impact of the changes implemented. This was viewed as a successful project and the methodology was recommended for further change initiatives for the future.

Professor Ciarán O Boyle Director at the Institute of Leadership said " Sheena is a great ambassador for our programme , she is proactive , motivated to develop herself and her organisation to improve the delivery of healthcare to patients and education to students . Our projects have a targeted application in the working environment , I am delighted that Sheenas project has received this commendation.

This was a collaborative project between the National Suicide Research Foundation (Cork) and RCSI with funding from the Health Research Board (HRB) and the European Union Framework 7 Programme. The researchers undertook a nationally representative prospective cohort study of 1,112 school-based adolescents aged 13-16 years, and assessed them at baseline, three-months and 12-months for childhood trauma (defined as physical assault and bullying) and psychotic experiences.

Professor Mary Cannon, HRB Clinician Scientist and Senior Investigator, Department of Psychiatry, RCSI said "Our findings are the first to show there is direct evidence between exposure to childhood trauma and psychotic experience. Furthermore, it showed that the cessation of traumatic experiences was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of psychotic experiences. These findings place new weight on calls for more comprehensive preventions and intervention strategies against childhood trauma in the community from abuse at home and bullying in schools.

The study aimed to determine whether childhood trauma could be considered a cause of psychotic experiences. In order for something to be genuinely considered a cause, it has to show a number of characteristics such as, a strength of association - namely the stronger the association the more likely that it is causal; a dose-response relationship - as the dose increases, so should the odds of the outcome or cessation of exposure - if exposure ceases or decreases, then the odds of the outcome should also cease or decrease.

Professor Cannon, continued "Our findings showed a clear relationship between exposure to childhood trauma and the onset of psychotic symptoms because the strength of the relationships was large in terms of odds ratios. We also saw a dose-response relationship with the odds of psychotic symptoms increasing in line with increasing levels of bullying."

Dr Ian Kelleher, Lead Investigator, Department of Psychiatry, RCSI said "Our analysis shows, we believe for the first time, that cessation of traumatic experiences predicted a significantly reduced incidence of psychotic experiences compared to individuals for whom the traumatic experiences continued. This is a very encouraging finding and suggests that population based approaches could have a large impact reducing the prevalence of psychotic symptoms."

"The research found that classmates were the largest group inflicting physical harm. Additionally, as most bullying taking place within the school, teacher training could have a very important role to play in reducing this harm," said Dr Kelleher.

The full paper is available to view here on the American Journal of Psychiatry. Dr Helen Keeley and Dr Paul Corcoran of the National Suicide Research Foundation were co-investigators on this research.

The new intake of surgical trainees in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) began the first ‘Surgical Bootcamp programme this week. This intensive 40 hour course which is now mandatory for all new surgical trainees was created to immerse surgical trainees in the technical and non-technical skills needed as a surgeon.

Pictured are surgical trainees Rita Flaherty and David Milgrom

Professor Oscar Traynor, Director, National Surgical Training Centre, RCSI said "At present surgical trainees can lose valuable time in the hospitals learning the basic skills needed to become a surgeon. The ‘Surgical Bootcamp programme for surgical trainees was designed to accelerate the acquisition of key technical and non-technical skills at the start of a career in Surgery so that valuable hours in hospitals are not lost learning basic training skills."

Pictured (l-r) are surgical trainees Anthony Cullen, Mathew Nagle and Consultant Mr Pathy Das.

The ‘Surgical Bootcamp programme was developed by RCSI based on feedback from consultant surgeons and surgical trainees and is designed to better prepare trainees for their early clinical rotations in surgical training. 58 trainees are currently enrolled on the training programme. Key features of the programme include simulation-rich training methods, skilled faculty, human factors training, surgical techniques, suturing, risk management and critical care.

Pictured is surgical trainee Ger Sheridan

At present, it can take surgical trainees a long time to learn the basic skills required to become a surgeon such as scrubbing up, tying knots and theatre etiquette as well as non-technical skills such as the management of surgical emergencies, critical care, risk management and clinical decision making. The ‘Surgical Bootcamp programme is enabling trainees gain valuable hands on experience at the very start of their experience and will enable the trainees to begin operating at a much earlier stage in their training.

Pictured are surgical trainees Rebecca Kealy and Joseph O’Dowd

At the end of the intensive Surgical Bootcamp programme, the trainees will take part in a skills test competition and the winner will be awarded the ‘Brian Lane Medal in honour of Brian E. Lane, Surgeon Prosector and a former Consultant General and Gastro-intestinal Surgeon at Beaumont and Connolly Hospitals.

Pictured are attendees at the Surgical Bootcamp

Primary Healthcare Corporation, Qatar - Building the Foundation

There are a number of exciting opportunities in primary healthcare in the State of Qatar. Up to 20 Qatar-based posts are available in key skill areas including programme management, contract management, HR, Quality and Accreditation. These roles will be for three years and involve a highly competitive tax-free package, housing allowances and further benefits.

The health sector has huge ambition and is seeing unprecedented levels of investment and innovation. The new PHCC strategy sets out recommendations that will transform care over the next five years. These include supporting people to stay at home rather than be admitted to hospital, a much greater focus on weight management and stopping smoking, the establishment of a patient helpline for people to access health advice over the phone, continuity through a clear plan and the same clinicians for people with ongoing diseases and a comprehensive programme of screening throughout peoples lives in order to detect disease early.

Lord Ara Darzi, who has overseen development of the strategy in Qatar is a member of the countrys national health council said, There is a real ambition and belief in the need to enhance Qatars healthcare agenda. Primary Health Care Corporation is at the forefront of this programme of change. This is a truly exciting time to be involved in helping to make their ambitious vision a reality.

For further details and information on how to apply for these positions please visit www.deardeninterim.co.uk/qatar-jobs or contact Rachel Emerson at
Dearden Interim on 0203 544 6519 or email info@deardeninterim.co.uk

Closing date for applications 15th August, 5pm.

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) today hosted a free, hands-on science workshop for primary school children as part of the REACH RCSI programme. The ‘Man vs. Machine summer science workshop aims to encourage participants to develop an interest and enthusiasm for science.


Pictured (l-r) are David Murray, Erica Larkin & Taylor Freeman getting to grips with science at the Man vs. Machine summer programme.

The children, with the aid of man-made machines, learned about Sir Isaac Newtons Three Laws of Motion, gravity, force, balance and friction. They then donned their lab coats to conduct a series of activities including designing a balloon and fizz pop rocket, examine why fingerprints increase friction as well as busting the myths of the old pulling the tablecloth from the table trick.

The event is an initiative of the REACH RCSI programme which promotes Recreation, Education and Community Health. ‘Man vs. Machine is organised by Maria Kelly, REACH Project Manager and Dr Maria Morgan, Lecturer in Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, who facilitates the Small Science, Big Ideas programme, with workshops designed specifically for younger children, introducing them to ways scientists work and allowing them to conduct simple experiments.


Taylor Freeman sees double during an experiment

Workshop facilitators included Dr Maria Morgan, Department of Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, MCT PhD students, Emily Reddy, Naadiya Carrim and Thea Tilley as well as REACH RCSIs Cliona Lyes.

Maria Kelly, REACH Project Manager, said: ‘We were delighted to host the Man vs. Machine programme. Enthusiasm for Science begins at a young age and by introducing 7-12 year olds to fun and innovative experiments we hope to inspire them to become the next generation of scientists.

Dr. Maria Morgan said: ‘The science activities were designed to ensure a hands-on learning experience for the children, integrated to maximize creativity and problem solving and focused on a theme which every child is interested in.

REACH RCSI works in partnership with primary and post primary schools, youth and community groups, together with the local community on the design and delivery of educational initiatives including homework clubs, science workshops, sports & health programmes and an education information service. The Man vs. Machine summer course was run in partnership with Aungier Street YMCA.

‘to enable access to high-quality surgical care through optimum resource utilisation (value)

The Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD, has today officially launched the Model of Care for Acute Surgery and the National Policy and Procedure for Safe Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).

The Model of Care for Acute Surgery has been developed given that up to 60% of the work undertaken in many surgical departments is on patients requiring acute surgical care. These patients are frequently the sickest, are elderly and have co-morbidities with often result in poorer outcomes.

The Model of Care for Acute Surgery thus sets out the principles and strategies necessary to ensure the provision of high-quality acute care for surgical patients in Ireland. Adherence to these principles, strategies and underlying critical considerations will ensure that patients experience:

• Safe, quality care in a suitable environment.
• Appropriate and timely attention from a senior doctors working within a dedicated multidisciplinary team.
• Prompt diagnosis, appropriate treatment and, where necessary, timely surgery, with appropriate aftercare, planned discharge with monitored outcomes.
• Excellent communication and respect for their autonomy and privacy.
• An optimum outcome with good after care, support and follow up.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Patrick J. Broe, President of RCSI said that ‘emergency surgery has to date been the poor relation of elective surgery and unfortunately, internationally, outcomes continue to be a cause of concern. The launch of the Model of Care for Acute Surgery today is testament to the determination of RCSI and HSE to improve the safety and quality of care for surgical patients presenting in the emergency or acute setting.

Also speaking at the launch, Mr Tony OBrien, CEO / Director General Designate of the Health Service Executive (HSE), said that ‘The adoption of global best practice principles in surgical care, patient safety, change management and business process re-engineering will be the keys to success as we work together to deliver the much needed change and reform that our health service requires. He continued by saying that he ‘hopes the principles contained in the document will guide all hospitals and groups of hospitals in their efforts to provide the best care possible for their patients.

The President of the College of Anaesthetists of Ireland (CAI), Dr Ellen OSullivan, who also spoke during the event congratulated the National Clinical Programme in Surgery for their achievements and highlighted the need for continued team working and broad stakeholder engagement.

In his closing remarks, Mr Ken Mealy, Joint Lead of the National Clinical Programme in Surgery thanked all those who contributed to the document during the consultation process and encouraged all staff who are involved in the delivery of surgical services to familiarise themselves with the principles contained in both Models of Care.

The Model of Care for Acute Surgery and the National Policy and Procedure for Safe Surgery is available for download at www.hse.ie/surgery or at www.rcsi.ie/ncps

Additional Notes:

The National Clinical Programme in Surgery (NCPS) is a joint initiative between the HSE Clinical Strategy and Programmes Directorate, and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The National Clinical Programme in Surgery commenced in 2010 with an initial focus on the delivery of a Model of Care for Elective Surgery. The programmes mission is to ‘enable access to high quality surgical care through optimum resources utilisation (value)

The Model of Care for Elective Surgery, published by the National Clinical Programme in Surgery (NCPS) in 2011, advocated for appropriately used Pre-admission Assessment Clinics, Day Surgery, Day of Surgery Admissions and Discharge Planning, which has already had a significant positive impact on the efficient delivery of surgical care to patients in Ireland.

Missed diagnosis and medication error have been highlighted as areas to be prioritised when developing educational strategies and risk management systems for healthcare practitioners in Primary Care. The findings are the result of systematic review of international malpractice claims in primary care carried out at the HRB Centre for Primary Care Research based at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and published today in the BMJ Open.

Missed diagnosis was the most common source of malpractice claims, accounting for one in four (26%) to two in three (63%) of the total. Among adults, cancer and heart attacks were the most commonly missed diagnosis. Among children, malpractice claims related to meningitis and cancer according to the claims. The second most common reason for claims came from errors in prescribing medication.

Commenting on the review lead author Dr Emma Wallace, a GP and HRB Research Fellow at the Centre, said, ‘This systematic review is timely considering the increased interest in focusing on primary care as a way of improving patient care and safety. It identifies missed diagnosis and medication error as areas to be prioritised in the development of clinical risk management systems and educational strategies for both undergraduate and postgraduate GP training.

We recognise that malpractice claims are not a perfect substitute for adverse events, as claims often represent a complex interplay of patient, doctor and societal factors. And not all claims are brought as a result of medical negligence. However, notwithstanding this, malpractice claims do have potential to offer insights into the types and causes of adverse events in clinical practice.

Dr Wallace continued, The review looked at different aspects such as the prevalence of malpractice claims in primary care; malpractice claims for primary care compared with other specialities; the medical misadventures cited in malpractice claims; and malpractice claims outcomes and compensation awarded.

Key findings from the review include:

• Failure to or delay in diagnosis was the commonest medical misadventure cited in primary care malpractice claims.
• The diagnoses most frequently cited in claims were cancer and myocardial infarction for adults and meningitis for children. The second commonest reason for claims was medication error.
• In the USA, the annual prevalence of malpractice claims against family practitioners appears to have remained relatively stable over the past two decades.
• In the UK and Australia, malpractice claims against GPs appear to be rising.
• Family practice is consistently ranked in the top five most sued specialities on US medical indemnity databases.
• The majority of claims are successfully defended. (Two-thirds of US claims and up to half of UK claims)
• Cognitive process such as reasoning and anchoring biases play a role in misdiagnosis events and medical schools and continuing professional development programmes need to educate practitioners on understanding the nature and psychology of diagnostic error.

View the paper here

More than 300 senior citizens visited the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) for the Ballroom of Romance on Tuesday, 16th July. This is the third year that RCSI has hosted this annual entertainment evening of dinner, music and dancing held for senior citizens living in the catchment area of the College.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr. Oisín Quinn speaks to some of the guests at the event

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr. Oisín Quinn was in attendance at the event and made a presentation to the Garda band leader, Inspector Sean Kearns, in recognition to the Garda bands contribution by providing music at the event.

Pictured (l-r) are Elizabeth Danagher, Rathmines, Frank Donegan, Head Porter, RCSI and Kay Nicholson, Rathmines.

The event is organised by Ms. Maria Kelly, REACH RCSI Programme, in partnership with Dublin City Council South East Area Community Development team. The Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr. Oisín Quinn presents Garda Sean Kearns with a painting of City Hall, Dublin at the Ballroom of Romance.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Cllr. Oisín Quinn presents Garda Sean Kearns with a painting of City Hall, Dublin at the Ballroom of Romance.

REACH RCSI works in partnership with primary and post primary schools, youth and community groups together with the local community on the design and delivery of educational initiatives including Homework Clubs, Science Workshops, Sports & health programmes and an Education Information Service.

Pictured is Helen Wall taking photos of guests at the Ballroom of Romance.

Pictured is Anna Hulgrane from Ringsend, Dublin.

Pictured (l-r) are Lilly Young from Crumlin and Pamela Galloway from Killester, Dublin, sharing a joke at the Ballroom of Romance.

The Garda Band performing at the Ballroom of Romance

Pat Connolly at his reception in Beaumont

Pat Connolly joined RCSI as a porter in 1988 from the Irish Army where he was in the Medical Core. As a member of the Irish Army, Pat served in a number of countries overseas, including the Congo Republic and Lebanon. Pat spent 13 years in RCSI St. Stephens Green before moving to Beaumont Hospital in 2001. Pat is a well-liked character and will be missed by all of his colleagues, both in Beaumont and St. Stephens Green.

Pat is presented with an RCSI print by Prof Cathal Kelly, CEO/Registrar, RCSI

A reception for Pat was held in TR4 on the 1st floor of the Education and Research Centre (ERC) at Beaumont Hospital.

Staff enjoying the reception at RCSI ERC Beaumont Hospital

Prof Gerry McElvaney, Professor of Medicine, RCSI led the tributes to Pat by saying, ‘It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Pat over the past 17 years. His attitude and enthusiasm for the job in hand is exemplary. I will be sad to see him go but I wish him all the best in his retirement.

Pictured (l-r) is Pat Connolly and Gary McNulty

Professor Cathal Kelly, CEO/Registrar, RCSI added, ‘I know there are very few members of staff as popular across the whole organisation as Pat. Joining RCSI seemed like a natural progression as Pat came to us from the armys medical core. Not many people may know that he actually had an affiliation to the College before he was on the payroll, as occasionally Pat stepped in as a model during surgical and medical examinations when he was still in the army. I can only thank him for all of his hard work and commitment to the RCSI over the past 25 years and wish him every success in his retirement.

Prof Ciarán OBoyle (right) delivering a training class

Prof Ciarán OBoyle and Mr Dermot OFlynn of the RCSI Institute of Leadership spent much of the month of July travelling to Uganda, Burundi, Malawi and Mozambique to deliver train the trainer courses to COSECSA surgeons who are involved in training surgical trainees in Sub-Saharan Africa. Attendance at one of these courses is currently the only way for a surgeon to become an accredited COSECSA trainer in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The train the trainer course teaches surgeons the skills they need to teach surgical trainees; such as attributes of a good teacher, how to teach skills, how to deliver lectures and presentations, learning styles, feedback techniques and leadership skills.

These courses build on the work completed over the previous two years when courses were given in the six other member countries of COSECSA (Rwanda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Ethiopia and Tanzania). Since the programme began in 2011, 211 surgeons from 10 countries have completed the programme, representing approximately 15% of all surgeons in the region.

Professor Ciaran OBoyle, Director of the RCSI Institute of Leadership said: "RCSIs involvement in the COSECSA programme reflects the Colleges commitment to its mission to educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health. The challenges facing surgical trainers in the region are formidable but the calibre of the participants on these courses is outstanding and bodes well for the future of surgery in the region."

The COSECSA region is vast, varied and home to approximately 300 million people in 10 countries. The region faces huge shortages in human resources in health, particularly at the specialist level and in particular in surgery. Basic surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa can decisively change health outcomes, sometimes from deaths door to a full recovery in a matter of weeks or from being potentially seriously crippled for life to having a mild limp and a good quality of life. Yet, in Malawi and Mozambique, for example, there is only one surgeon per million people. COSECSA is working to remedy this situation and currently has 194 surgical trainees in 33 training centres across the region.

The courses have been very well received, the comments of Richard Byaruhanga from Mulago hospital in Kampala, Uganda were typical "You have opened my eyes to many interesting and practical ideas. I hope to start putting them into practice."

The RCSI/COSECSA collaboration began in 2007 and has developed into a whole college collaboration between the two Colleges, involving departments as diverse as the Department of Surgical Affairs, IT, Communications, Media Services, Examinations, Anatomy, Pathology and Biology and the Institute of Leadership.

The medical checks will screen for a range of illnesses including heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney disease, as well as checking BMI and blood pressure. Over 50 members of the local community will take part in the initiative.

Dr Kilian McGrogan of Mercers Medical Centre said, "There are a small percentage of people who go for regular check-ups but the majority of people only attend the doctor when they are ill. It is hoped an initiative such as this will encourage people to see their doctor more regularly for health check-ups as disease prevention and early intervention encourages people to take a more active interest in their health and can make a positive difference."

More than 250 members of the public are expected to take part in Historic Tours of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) this week. The tours are free of charge to the public and mark the 2013 National Heritage Week.


Pictured is Noel Roche from Naas, Co. Kildare at the Historic Tours of RCSI, as part of National Heritage Week 2013.


RCSI Head Porter, Frank Donegan shows attendees around the building

The tours will be led by RCSI Head Porter, Frank Donegan and will last approximately one hour. During the tour, attendees will learn the history of the College and the part it has played in both local and national history, including when the building was seized by rebels led by Constance Markievicz during the 1916 Easter Rising.


Rita Smyth from Dublin is pictured in the College Hall at the Historic Tours of RCSI.


Pictured (l-r) is Alisun Fox & Emma-May Curran examining a RCSI heritage display in the Board Room


Guests examine a bullet groove in a brass door handle in the Board Room. This bullethole was left by gunfire from the 1916 Easter Rising as British troops fired on the College from across St Stephens Green

Tours of the building will take place at 11am and 2pm on Wednesday 21st August and Thursday 22nd August, departing from the Concourse. Demand for places on these tours has been huge as all six tours of the College are now booked up.


A visiting group take a rest in the RCSI Board Room during the National Heritage Week tours of the College.

National Heritage Week 2013 which takes place nationwide from 17th - 25th August 2013, looks set to reach a record total of 1700 events this year, the majority of which will be free to attend. For more information on other events taking place throughout the country visit www.heritageweek.ie.

Pictured (l-r) is Mary Neville from Stoneybatter and Eddie McElligott from Clontarf, Dublin, peering into the RCSIs Presidents Office during the tour of RCSI.

The 2013/2014 Professional Development Programme (PDP) for non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) working in the fields of surgery and emergency medicine, taking place at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), has been announced with this years programme offering a newly expanded choice of technical skills and human factors modules. Eligible NCHDs have until Friday, 20th September to enrol on the Programme.

The Programme, which is now in its third year, is commissioned and funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to facilitate NCHDs within the public health service, who are not on training schemes, to maintain their professional competence in line with Medical Council requirements and provides a structured means of achieving 20 external CPD credits. Approximately 500 NCHDs are eligible for enrolment on the Programme and the HSE will cover the cost of participation for NCHDs who meet the criteria and enrol by the 20th September deadline.

The programme includes technical skills modules and human factors training. New to the technical skills module in Surgery this year is the ‘Fundamentals of Breast Surgery, ‘Surgical Management of Trauma after ATLS and Prosthetics and Orthotics in Orthopaedics. Additional technical skills modules include basic and advanced surgical skills courses aimed at SHOs. Advanced courses in endoscopy and laparoscopic surgery are targeted at senior registrars. Vascular and urology surgeons will be offered the opportunity to enhance their operative skills with surgery techniques courses tailored to these specialities.

For Emergency Medicine there is a full day courses dedicated to airway management and resuscitation. In the human factors module, a new course ‘Medical Error and Patient Safety has been added.

Professor Oscar Traynor, Director, National Surgical Training Centre, RCSI, said: "The RCSI Professional Development Programme assists NCHDs to satisfy their professional competence requirement. The programme provides highly relevant courses for emergency medicine and surgery NCHDs at both SHO and Registrar level, to equip them with invaluable skills and technical expertise needed in order to excel in their speciality."

Mary-Jo Biggs, Medical Education and Training, HSE said: "The Professional Development Programme provides a structured curriculum for NCHDs to achieve up to 20 CPD credits per annum, with a choice of modules tailored for both surgery and emergency medicine now available. We strongly encourage all eligible NCHDs who are not currently on a training scheme to enrol on the Programme by 20th September in order to avail of the educational activities which the HSE is supporting."

The Professional Development Programme is open to NCHDs who are registered on the General Division or Supervised Division of the Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council. NCHDs must hold the 2010 NCHD contract and be working within the public health service. To successfully enrol on the Professional Development Programme, applicants must have paid the annual Professional Competence Scheme Fee for 2013/2014.

Since the 1st of May 2011, it has been mandatory for all doctors to register with a Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) run by one of the postgraduate training bodies. RCSI has been designated by the Irish Medical Council to run PCS for Surgery and Emergency Medicine.

For further information on the Professional Development Programme delivered by RCSI visit www.rcsi.ie/pdp The Programme runs until June 2014 and the timetable up to December 2013 is now available on www.schoolforsurgeons.com

RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) has achieved major funding success in the latest round of Health Research Awards announced today by the Health Research Board (HRB).

The eight successful RCSI projects will examine a range of health issues including doctor emigration, psychotic illness, link between blood group and risk of heart attacks, epilepsy, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, melanoma and Motor Neuron Disease.

Today’s announcement represents a €12.3 million investment by the HRB across 40 projects.

Professor Ray Stallings, RCSI Director of Research said ‘RCSI welcomes the announcement made by the HRB to fund eight of RCSI’s research projects as part of the Health Research Awards. I congratulate the Principal Investigators on their awards, which are major accomplishments in this era of reduced public research funding, and wish them the best of luck as they undertake their new projects. Today’s announcement supports RCSI’s commitment to world-class research to improve human health through clinical and laboratory-based research informed by bedside problems, societal and global health challenges’.

The successful RCSI Principal Investigators and projects are:

• Professor Ruairi Brugha: Doctor Emigration Project
• Professor David Cotter: A metabolomic study of subjects in the at risk mental state; a longitudinal biomarker study with discovery and validation components
• Professor David Henshall: MicroRNA-134 as a target for the prevention and treatment of epilepsy
• Dr David Hughes: The influence of interactions between selenium supply biomarkers and genetic variation and gene expression in the selenium pathway on CRC risk and survival
• Professor Dermot Kenny: Why is blood group a risk marker for myocardial infarction? (investigating the role of blood groups as a risk for heart attack.)
• Dr Marie McIlroy: An investigation into the utility of prosaposin as a marker of PI3K inhibitor responsiveness in aromatase inhibitor resistant breast cancer.
• Professor Jochen Prehn: Angiogenin as a therapeutic for the treatment of ALS (Motor Neuron Disease)
• Dr Markus Rehm: A translational systems medicine approach to provide predictive capacity for DTIC-based chemotherapy responsiveness in metastatic malignant melanoma

A total of 40 projects were selected from 209 applications. These were assessed by international peer review panels who believed the nature, scope and relevance of the proposals demonstrated great ambition and innovation that would lead to results that are relevant both nationally and internationally.

This funding will address a wide range of subjects, including mental health, cancer, diabetes and arthritis, says Enda Connolly, Chief Executive at the HRB. It will support health professionals and researchers to examine pressing research questions that will deliver strong evidence to enhance patient care, improve peoples health or lifestyle and positively influence how we deliver our health services.

Each project will receive up to €330,000 over the next three years.

I believe we will see an excellent return on this investment. No one is better placed to understand the needs of patients, or identify how we can improve their care, than people involved at the coal face in hospitals and across the health services. We are supporting experts who have clearly demonstrated they are dedicated to turning good ideas into research discoveries that can transform policy and practice, concludes Connolly.

The College recognises the significance of education and health management in both the life of the individual and the community and is committed to community engagement through a programme of outreach initiatives. The REACH RCSI programme (Recreation Education And Community Health.) was established in 2007 and is the community outreach and access programme at RCSI The initiative is aimed at encouraging and facilitating third level participation and enhancing life chances for those traditionally underrepresented at third level, particularly those from Dublins South Inner City.

This RCSI programme, in tangent with other outreach initiatives which have been run in the College for the past number of years, works directly with the local community and in partnership with local schools, youths and sports groups. RCSI staff and students volunteer across the various outreach initiatives of the College and are integral to the success of the programme.

The exhibition features pictures from various outreach events run by RCSI over the past six years. These include the REACH RCSI Grinds Club, Sports Day, Dublin and Waterford Transition Year programmes, childrens Science Workshops, free health checks at Mercers Medical Centre, the annual Ballroom of Romance, the Senior Citizens Christmas party, the Primary Science Teachers Summer Course and the RCSI MiniMed School Open Lecture Series to name but a few.

The photo exhibition is in line with the RCSI Strategic Plan 2013-2017 for the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences states that the vision of RCSI is ‘to be recognised internationally as a leading centre for professional education, research and innovation in healthcare. Having a focus on the local community in the catchment area of the College is key to this vision. There will be plenty of volunteering opportunities within these outreach programmes in the near future so please watch out for future calls for volunteers from Maria Kelly, REACH RCSI Manager.

- First Memorandum of Understanding between RCSI and a psychiatric teaching hospital.
- Collaboration between two healthcare organisations aims to enhance educational opportunities available to pharmacy students

Saint John of God Hospital, one of the leading providers of mental health treatment and care services in Ireland, has announced an official collaboration between its Pharmacy Department, and the School of Pharmacy at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI).

The Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed today, Thursday, 29th August, aims to enhance the educational opportunities available to undergraduate pharmacy students. This is the first time that the RCSI School of Pharmacy has undertaken a Memorandum of Understanding with a psychiatric teaching hospital.

The partnership will see the development of inter-professional, work-based educational initiatives between the two organisations. Clinical work placements and structured site visits will help give pharmacy students an insight into the Hospitals multi-faceted approach to the treatment of mental illness and person-centred care. The agreement will also facilitate collaborative research between the two organisations.

According to Dolores Keating, Head of Pharmacy at Saint John of God Hospital, the Memorandum is an important step forward for the Hospital: "As a teaching hospital, education is a core part of the ethos and mission of the organisation. Pharmacists have an important role to play in the delivery of high quality mental health services. I hope that this collaboration will help pharmacists support people with mental illness on their recovery journey."

Speaking at the Hospital to mark the announcement, Professor Hannah McGee, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, RCSI said: "The Pharmacy Department here at Saint John of God Hospital has established, under the leadership of Ms. Dolores Keating, a record as leading in innovation in pharmacy services and facilitating multidisciplinary care. It is with the greatest of pleasure therefore that today I sign this Memorandum of Understanding between our School of Pharmacy and this prestigious Hospital. This Memorandum will enable our undergraduate pharmacy students and interns to have more access to clinical patient care scenarios; to learn from the clinical expertise of Ms. Dolores Keating and Ms Audrey Purcell; and to facilitate clinical research opportunities between our two institutions."

Professor McGee continued: "Today we are not only creating history, but also building on the history of our respective institutions and the vision of our founders. The principal beneficiaries of this new joint venture will be our patients and that will justify all our future endeavours together as we embark on this new journey."

Speaking on the annual forum, Professor Paul Gallagher, Head of the RCSI School of Pharmacy, said ‘RCSI is truly honoured to be creating history by being the first academic institution to host this annual Pharmacy Deans Forum. Having established RCSI nationally as an accomplished provider of pharmacy education in the ten years since the foundation of the School of Pharmacy, it is now timely for the School to do the same on an international scale. Such recognition will facilitate the fulfillment of the Schools strategic intent to attract more international students.

‘The hosting of this forum also promotes further collaboration world-wide in research and teaching and will create opportunities for our undergraduate students to pursue course electives outside of Ireland, Prof Gallagher continued

The annual Deans Forum precedes the World Congress of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), which is taking place at Dublins Convention Centre. With the theme Towards a future vision for complex patients - integrated care in a dynamic continuum, the weeklong Congress attracts pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists and academics from around the globe. The Congress addressed a range of global healthcare and pharmacy topics including current trends in pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences and upcoming developments within the profession such as new changes in pharmacy service provision, the regulation of internet pharmacies and the electronic patient record.

Dr Steve Kerrigan, Senior Lecturer at the RCSI School of Pharmacy and a member of the Congress organising committee, said ‘We have been working with FIP, national representative bodies, the pharmaceutical industry, Government and pharmacist colleagues here and in Northern Ireland to ensure the success of this 2013 FIP Congress.

The Congress will run until Thursday 5th September and approximately 3,000 delegates are expected to attend. The Congress will generate in excess of €4 million in revenue for the Irish economy.

For further information on the event and the International Pharmaceutical Federation programme, visit http://www.fip.org/dublin2013/.

The RCSI Institute of Leadership is delighted to announce the commencement of its new MSc in Leadership in Health Professions Education in the United Arab Emirates.

Delivered in partnership with the University of Sharjah, this program is designed specifically for health profession education institutes, residency program directors and healthcare leaders. The program focuses on supporting participants in becoming effective teachers, mentors, supervisors and educational leaders.

Commencing in October 2013 this part-time MSc program will be delivered using a blended-learning model of classroom and web-based instruction. The program has double accreditation status, being accredited by the National University of Ireland and the United Arab Emirates Commission for Academic Accreditation on behalf of the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research.

Professor Ciaran O’Boyle said "This novel programme is unique in bringing together the strengths of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the University of Sharjah. The programme is successfully established in Ireland and the new collaboration with the University of Sharjah provides the opportunity to make it widely available in the region. The unique feature of the programme is that, in addition, to developing the knowledge and skills of participants in relation to education and assessment, the participants are provided with the opportunity to develop their leadership capabilities".

Approximately 160 frontline healthcare workers will commence a four-day infection prevention and control course today in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). A one-day hand hygiene workshop will also be held in the College on this week. Both courses are co-ordinated by RCSI and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

The infection control course, entitled ‘Safe Patient Care: Healthcare-associated Infection Prevention & Control for All: A Foundation Course, has taken place every September since 2010. The course costs each participant just €100, thanks to the support and commitment of RCSI and the HPSC and also because lecturers give freely of their time and resources. In addition, both organisations subsidise the course to ensure that it can take place each year. The schedule for the four-day programme can be viewed here.

The hand hygiene workshop, which will run on Thursday 5th September, is aimed at healthcare professionals who have responsibility for hand hygiene education, training and monitoring. Claire Kilpatrick and Julie Storr, consultants to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Patient Safety Programme are facilitating this course. Participants will also hear from Ann Higgins, Infection Prevention and Control Nurse at the Mater Private Hospital, which received a WHO European Excellence Award for Hand Hygiene in 2013. This workshop is free to participants due to the support of RCSI and the HPSC.

For further information please visit www.hpsc.ie or email sheila.donlon1@hse.ie / Siobhan.dowling@hse.ie.