2005 Press Releases
Summer School to spark lively debate on our health system - Fourth Population Health Summer School
While the health service provides a vital safety net when we are ill,
it makes a relatively small contribution to protecting our health; or
to promoting positive health and well-being and preventing premature
death.
That is according to organisers of this year's Population Health Summer
School, which takes place on Thursday, 1st and Friday, 2nd September
2005 in Devere Hall, University College, Cork. Now in its fourth year,
the summer school is jointly organised by the Health Service Executive
Southern Area's Department of Public Health; University College Cork's
Department of Epidemiology, and the Institute of Public Health in
Ireland.
The 2005 summer school is entitled, "health systems and population
health" and aims to spark timely and meaningful debate amongst health
professionals, policymakers and academics, especially in light of
current health service reform in Ireland.
Speaking about the event, co-organiser and Director of Public Health
with the Health Service Executive Southern Area, Dr. Elizabeth Keane,
said: "This year's Population Health Summer School will explore some of
the critical challenges ahead for our health systems. Currently, as we
are embroiled in the throes of major reform of the health services,
there is a real concern that the focus is on providing 'quick fix'
solutions for a "sickness service". That is not sustainable. We need to
ask: How can we best protect our health? Why neglect disease
prevention? Health Services reform must not ambush health itself. These
are some of the issues that health professionals, health policymakers
and academics will be invited to debate at the Summer School," Dr.
Keane stated.
"This conference provides an opportunity to reflect, from an
international perspective, on the performance of health systems and the
impact of health systems on the health of the population," added
co-organiser and Professor of Public Health at UCC, Ivan Perry. "In the
last century, the focus of health care research was on the
effectiveness of treatments - that is - finding out what works. There
is now increasing focus on health systems research, in particular, on
the challenge of delivering effective treatments for chronic conditions
such as heart disease and diabetes in the community, with limited
budgets", he said.
"Unfortunately in Ireland most people associate public health with the
provision of health services for the poor. The broader concept of
public health (population health) as a discipline, committed to
preventing disease and creating the conditions for a healthy society,
is poorly understood. There are increasing concerns that the population
health function will not be adequately developed and supported in the
ongoing health reform programme. This is a vital issue and I hope this
conference will highlight the need for an appropriate and realistic
balance in our health system between treatment and prevention, between
the urgent and the important," said Prof. Perry.
Speakers at the Population Health Summer School include: Professor
Allyson Pollock of University College London; Professor Martin McKee of
the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies; Professor
Niall O'Higgins of UCD; Dr. Ruth Barrington of the Health Research
Board; Mr. Tom Frawley, Northern Ireland Ombudsman; Mr. Stephen McMahon
of the Irish Patients Association, Professor Geraldine McCarthy of
UCC's School of Nursing and Midwifery, Liberal Democrat Baroness
Neuberger DBE, author broadcaster and peer in the House of Lords; Dr.
Mary O'Mahony of Health Protection Agency England and Dr. Cillian
Twomey, Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine with the Health
Service Executive Southern Area.
The two-day programme will be divided into five sessions: choosing the
best options for our health system; bridging the research/services gap;
people, patients and populations; cultures and competence; health
protection and health systems reform (see end for full programme).
To obtain a full programme or to register, contact Eileen Ryan on Tel.
021-4923501, Email: eileenmryan@mailp.hse.ie or Fax. 021-4346063.
Attendance fee of E350 includes the conference programme; refreshments
and lunch. Dinner on Thursday night costs an extra E50 per delegate and
per additional guest.
"The Summer School will allow debate on the influencing, making and
implementing of policy and how science and rationality need to be
combined with emotion and power to achieve optimum health for our
population", concluded Dr. Keane.
106RMcD
« Back to 2005 Press Releases