Health « Thurles Information

Irish Ambulance Staff Launch 24-Hour Strike Amid Pay & Role Dispute.

Paramedics and ambulance personnel across Ireland have begun a nationwide 24-hour strike, prompting warnings from the HSE about delays to ambulance response times for non-emergency cases.

The industrial action, which started at 8am on Tuesday and continues until 8am on Wednesday, involves National Ambulance Service staff including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, advanced paramedics, specialist paramedics and supervisors.

The dispute centres on claims by Unite and SIPTU that the HSE has failed to implement recommendations from the 2020 Roles and Responsibilities Review. Union representatives argue that ambulance workers have taken on greater clinical duties, qualifications and operational responsibilities over recent years without receiving corresponding pay increases or recognition.

They also say a recommended 5% pay rise under the Benchmarking II process remains outstanding.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said ambulance staff had been “left with no option” but to strike in pursuit of fair pay and recognition for the increasingly complex work they perform on the frontline.

Union officials said contingency measures have been agreed with the HSE to ensure emergency and life-threatening cases continue to receive priority treatment during the stoppage.

Unite regional officer Eoin Drummey said workers would rather be “saving lives than standing on picket lines”, but insisted staff felt compelled to act after years of frustration over unresolved issues.

The HSE has advised the public that ambulance response times for non-life-threatening incidents are likely to be significantly affected during the strike period and encouraged people to consider alternative healthcare services where appropriate.

Food Alert.

FSAI warn of recall specific batches of Western Brand Sage & Onion Cook in Bag Whole Chicken due to the possible presence of Salmonella.

Alert Summary dated Monday, 11th May 2026

Category 1: For Action
Alert Notification: 2026.20
Product Identification: Please see table below.
Batch Code Please see table below.
Country Of Origin: Ireland

Message: Western Brand is recalling the below batches of its Sage & Onion Cook in Bag Whole Chicken due to the possible presence of Salmonella.

Product.	Pack Size.	Use by dates.	Batch Number.
ALDI
Butchers Selection Sage & Onion Cook in Bag Whole Chicken.	1600g	13th May 2026	26124-640
TESCO
Tesco Roast in Bag Sage & Onion Stuffed Whole Irish Chicken.	1500g.	13th May 2026; 14th May 2026;	26124-640 26125-206

Nature Of Danger: People infected with Salmonella typically develop symptoms between 12 and 36 hours after infection, but this can range between 6 and 72 hours. The most common symptom is diarrhoea, which can sometimes be bloody. Other symptoms may include fever, headache and abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Diarrhoea can occasionally be severe enough to require hospital admission. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.

Action Required:
Manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, caterers & retailers:
Retailers: Same are requested to remove the implicated batches from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale.
Consumers: Consumers are advised not to eat the implicated batches.

Mid West Doctors Issue Stark Warning Over Patient Safety Crisis At UHL.

The Medical Board of HSE Mid West has issued what it describes as an “unprecedented recommendation” to Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, warning that risks to patient care at University Hospital Limerick remain “intolerable” and “unacceptable”.

The Board said the crisis at UHL is not new, but rather the result of years of underinvestment and insufficient acute hospital capacity across the Mid West region, which includes, North Tipperary, Limerick, and Clare.
UHL remains the main acute hospital serving patients from North Tipperary, particularly from towns including Nenagh, Roscrea and surrounding communities, following the reconfiguration of emergency services in the region.

In its statement, the Medical Board warned that severe overcrowding, high trolley numbers, delayed admissions and exhausted frontline staff continue to place patients at risk on a daily basis. Doctors said emergency services are operating without the capacity required to safely meet growing demand from an ageing and expanding population.

Chairman of the Medical Board, consultant surgeon Mr Colin Peirce, said frontline clinicians and patient advocates have repeatedly warned for years that the Mid West lacks the acute hospital infrastructure needed to deliver safe and timely care.
He stated that while staff continue to work under extraordinary pressure, “mitigation is not safety” and “corridor care is not acceptable healthcare”. He said patients are waiting too long for beds, treatment, privacy and dignity.

Four Immediate Demands:
The Medical Board is calling on Government to urgently implement four key measures:

Establish a fully empowered HSE Mid West Development Board to drive delivery of the proposed new hospital project.
Guarantee a full acute hospital with at least 400 beds in Phase 1 and long-term capacity for at least 1,000 beds, alongside the new maternity hospital.
Provide emergency funding in 2026 to recruit additional consultants, nurses, NCHDs, allied health professionals and support staff.
Suspend HSE staffing ceilings and recruitment restrictions across the Mid West until patient safety risks are stabilised.

Delays Continue Despite HIQA Findings.
The statement comes more than seven months after a HIQA review identified serious patient safety concerns linked to overcrowding and inadequate bed capacity at UHL. Doctors say many of those same conditions persist today.
Although Government approved plans in late 2025 to expand healthcare capacity in the Mid West, including additional services and a second acute hospital strategy, clinicians say progress remains too slow. A 44-acre site in Raheen was secured earlier this year for expansion of services linked to UHL, but the promised Development Board has yet to be formally established.

Growing Pressure Across the Mid West.
Doctors stressed that while hospitals in Nenagh, Ennis and St John’s continue to provide excellent care, they cannot compensate for the absence of sufficient acute inpatient and emergency capacity in the region.

For communities in North Tipperary, which rely heavily on UHL for emergency and specialist care, the ongoing crisis continues to raise serious concerns about access, waiting times and patient safety.
The Medical Board concluded that the Mid West can no longer continue operating in “permanent crisis mode” and warned that further delays in expanding hospital capacity risk prolonging unsafe conditions for both patients and healthcare staff.

Thurles Order Of Malta Cadets Prepare For All-Ireland Challenge After Cork Success.

Thurles Order of Malta (Ireland) Cadet Leader Mr Thomas Burke Reports:

All roads led to Cork this weekend as the Southern Region Order of Malta Cadet Competitions took centre stage.
Over the past number of months, cadets and leaders have dedicated countless hours to training and refining their skills in First Aid and Assisted Activities of Daily Living.

Their hard work, commitment, and determination paid off, with cadets achieving outstanding success across all categories entered.
The celebrations continued as cadets and leaders proudly brought silverware back to Thurles, following a highly successful weekend of competition.

Attention now turns to the All-Ireland Competitions, which will take place in Fermanagh this July, where the team will continue training and preparing to represent their region with pride once again.

Why More Young Adults Are Getting Cancer & What Scientists Think Drives the Trend.

For decades, cancer was considered primarily a disease associated with aging. But that assumption is rapidly changing. Across the globe, doctors are seeing a growing number of cancer diagnoses in adults under 50, a phenomenon now referred to as early-onset cancer. Research shows that rates of several cancers, especially colorectal, breast, kidney, and uterine cancers, have steadily increased among younger adults since the 1990s.
A major 2025 study from researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health found that 14 different cancer types increased among people under 50 between 2010 and 2019. The largest rises were seen in breast, colorectal, kidney, and uterine cancers.
Scientists still do not have one definitive explanation, but many researchers believe the increase is likely linked to a combination of lifestyle, environmental, and biological changes.

Diet, Obesity, and Modern Lifestyles
One of the strongest suspected contributors is the global rise in obesity and unhealthy dietary habits. Diets high in ultra-processed foods, refined sugars, and processed meats may increase inflammation in the body and disrupt hormones and gut bacteria, all of which can contribute to cancer development.
Health experts also point to increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Less physical activity combined with long-term weight gain may significantly raise the risk of cancers such as colorectal, breast, and uterine cancer.
The World Health Organization reports that obesity rates worldwide have more than doubled since 1990, especially among younger generations. Researchers believe this trend may be closely connected to the rise in early-onset cancers.

Are Microplastics and Environmental Chemicals Part of the Problem?
Another growing area of concern involves environmental exposure, especially microplastics and industrial chemicals.
Microplastics are now found in food, drinking water, air, and even human tissues. Early studies suggest these particles may contribute to inflammation, cellular damage, and DNA mutations, all of which are linked to cancer development. Researchers are especially studying possible connections between microplastics and colorectal cancer.
Scientists are also investigating the potential role of:- “Forever chemicals” (PFAS); Air pollution; Gut microbiome disruption; Chronic stress; Sleep disruption and Environmental toxins.
However, experts caution that evidence connecting many of these factors directly to cancer is still developing.

Better Screening May Also Explain Some Increase.
Not all of the rise necessarily means more cancers are developing. In some cases, cancers are simply being detected earlier and more often due to improved screening technologies and increased awareness.
Organizations have lowered recommended screening ages for certain cancers:
Colorectal cancer screening now commonly begins at age 45 instead of 50, while breast cancer screening often begins at age 40 instead of 50.
Improved imaging and earlier testing may partially explain why diagnoses among younger adults appear to be increasing.

The Good News: Survival Rates Are Improving.
Despite rising diagnosis rates, overall cancer death rates have declined for many cancer types because treatments and early detection have improved significantly.
Still, some cancers diagnosed in younger adults can behave more aggressively. Early-onset colorectal and breast cancers, for example, are often discovered at more advanced stages because symptoms are unexpected in younger people.
Researchers emphasize that awareness is critical. Persistent symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, rectal bleeding, unusual fatigue, changes in bowel habits, or abnormal lumps should never be ignored simply because someone is young.

What Researchers Know So Far.
Scientists agree on several important points:

Early-onset cancer rates are genuinely rising for multiple cancer types.
Obesity, diet, and lifestyle changes are likely major contributors.
Environmental exposures may also play a role.
Genetics alone cannot explain the sharp increase.
Earlier screening and improved detection account for part; but likely not all of the trend.