ABSTRACT
As the effects of Brexit, Covid-19, and the current manpower shortage within the Defence Forces threaten to become the perfect storm for the State's security forces, the Naval Service Reserve ("NSR”) continues to support the Irish Naval Service in defending the interests of the nation both at sea and within the strategic ports of Cork, Dublin, Waterford, and Limerick. The importance of protecting Ireland's territorial seas is prevalent throughout the history of the Defence Forces, and the reserve, in particular. With the initial founding of the Maritime Inscription, evolving into An Slua Mhuirí and most recently reorganised into the NSR, the reserve element of Ireland's maritime defence has continuously worked alongside the Naval Service to achieve a shared objective. Now, far removed from the backdrop of "The Emergency” which necessitated its creation, this submission seeks to examine the current formation of the NSR and its role within the Defence Forces as part of an overall analysis of the organisation's capabilities and the legislative framework underpinning it. Particular attention will be afforded to examining the current challenges facing the NSR in effectively fulfilling its primary roles. These roles include but are not limited to, augmenting the seagoing capability of the Irish Naval Service, conducting port security and maritime surveillance, and gathering intelligence and information in the defined Areas of Operation. Finally, the submission seeks to highlight the potential benefits of utilising the inherent technical skills of NSR members and of providing increased responsibility (and accountability) for the organisation to more closely align it with the Naval Service. In this regard, a comparative analysis of similar international organisations is set out in this submission, together with the approach taken by the NSR's predecessors in previous times of national uncertainties. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical practice of neuropsychology has been substantially modified keeping the remote attention since then. In this work our experience in remote cognitive stimulation (RCS) for the past fifteen months and the user satisfaction during the second year of the pandemic is described.
ABSTRACT
Nurses represent the highest proportion of healthcare workers globally and have played a vital role during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has shed light on multiple vulnerabilities that have impacted the nursing workforce including critical levels of staffing shortages in Canada. A review sponsored by the Royal Society of Canada investigated the impact of the pandemic on the nursing workforce in Canada to inform planning and implementation of sustainable nursing workforce strat-egies. The review methods included a trend analysis of peer-reviewed articles, a jurisdictional scan of policies and strategies, analyses of published surveys and interviews of nurses in Canada, and a targeted case study from Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. Findings from the review have identified longstanding and COVID-specific impacts, gaps, and opportunities to strengthen the nursing workforce. These findings were integrated with expert perspectives from national nursing leaders involved in guiding the review to arrive at recommendations and actions that are presented in this policy brief. The findings and recommendations from this policy brief are meant to inform a national and sustained focus on retention and recruitment efforts in Canada.
ABSTRACT
Context: UK austerity measures following the 2008 financial crisis included budget reductions for health and social care. We aimed to investigate the extent to which austerity-measures had impacted the lives of people with intellectual disabilities in England, and whether their support costs were associated with their characteristics, needs and outcomes. Objectives: We report on what services people with intellectual disabilities were using, whether they had lost care, the costs of their support, and what impact any loss of benefits and services had on individuals’ lives. Methods: 150 participants with intellectual disabilities across England were interviewed about their services and their well-being. Service and individual support costs were calculated. Statistical and thematic analyses were employed. Results: The largest proportion (42%) of our sample had lost care. 14% had experienced changed care, and care had remained the same for 36%. Only 7% said their care had improved. No associations were found between costs and characteristics and needs except for whether the person had mild or severe intellectual disabilities. Those who had lost care engaged in fewer activities and had significantly lower self-esteem and quality-of-life scores compared with those who had not lost care. Loss of care impacted on individuals’ independence and future aspirations. Limitations: A comparative study of austerity impacts across the whole of England was not possible. Our costs data may be underestimated because full information on support from home, key, or support workers was unavailable. Implications: In attempting to mitigate against COVID-19 impacts on people with intellectual disabilities, policy-decisions will need to consider the backlog of a decade of cuts. © 2021 The Author(s). cial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unpor.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 is presenting a colossal challenge to frontline NHS staff. This paper highlights how plastic surgery teams can use their diverse skills and resources in times of crisis. Through effective strategy and leadership we present how we are adapting as a department to serve our plastic surgery patients, other hospital teams and the Trust.