Doctors have threatened to go on strike following the breakdown of talks between the Government and the Irish Medical Organisation. The row is based on the abolishment of an allowance of €3,000 for non-consultant hospital doctors during the recession which the doctors are trying to get reinstated.
Boston Scientific’s Irish arm saw a pre-tax profit increase of 16% in 2015 compared to the 2014 period. Revenues dropped by 2%, with operating profits rising to €992bn from €768bn. Boston Scientific are Ireland’s 14th largest exporter.
Health spending in Ireland is one of the highest in Europe, where we are placed 6th. We spent 9.91% of GDP in 2014. Government spending in the sector has increased by €1bn since 2014.
A report by the EU shows occupancy rates of beds in hospitals in Ireland is the highest in the EU. Our rate is 93% occupancy vs 75-80% in France and Germany. The amount of beds also increased marginally to 11,989.
An Alzheimer drug sent for trial by Eli Lilly failed, wiping $10bn off their market value. The drug Solanezumab was hoped to be the first drug to delay the onset of dementia. It now questions the wide-held theory that amyloid plaques causes the brain to stop functioning and allowing the onset of dementia.
