Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

In the last Seanad on numerous occasions I called for a debate on men's health. I support Senator Buttimer's call for such a debate. Unfortunately, like it or not, men are not as proactive in looking after their own health as they should be. When they do take action, it is often at the prompting of their wife, partner, sister, friend or aunt. In the main, they do not take action of their own volition.

It is important that we have an ongoing audit of practices among professionals in the health services. In light of the disturbing reports in the UK of a male nurse who murdered four elderly patients and attempted to murder a fifth, it is important that cross-checks are carried out on preparations when medicine is being administered to people in care. This is accepted practice, but often practices fall down for want of the required number of personnel.

It is disturbing to read about people who, over the last number of years, produced falsified qualification certificates and found themselves practising as surgeons and other medical professionals. Many of these have got away with it but, fortunately, some have been detected. This is something of which we must be particularly observant. In particular, those who are hiring such professionals must ensure they are what they say they are. That they are not always so is a proven fact.