ISH Members News February 2009
The Committee has hit the ground running this year and work is underway on a number of areas, with priority being given to CDP and Communications. Working Groups have been established and are made up of the following Committee members:
Executive
Chairman – Declan Mohan -
Secretary – Anne Connolly -
Treasurer – Mary Carroll -
Registrar – Gillian Wray -
CPD Team
CPD Manager - Martin Byrne
Mentor Manager– Julie Baxter
Events Manager – Shirley Lee
Communications
ClodaghSheehy
Geraldine Walsh
Sue Prickett
Politics
Anne Marie O’Bradaigh
Alastair Yarrow
AGM
Derek Hennessy
Sally Quinlan Library:
Lynda Boxwell
Homeopathic Practice Research
Roger Lee
Remember you can contact the office at Tel: 01-6755177 email:
We're Moving Office......
We have taken advantage of the current economic situation to relocate to a larger office with more facilities that can be utilized for meetings and workshops. Apart from a larger office space, our new headquarters has rooms that can be used for Committee Meetings, CPD events and other ad-hoc meetings. While facilities at the new premises are far superior, they are at no extra cost to the Society. We hope to be in our new office in the first week in March.
AGM
Please keep Saturday, October 10th 2009 free for this year's AGM
We’re going to the midlands and hope that members will travel to Athlone for this year’s event, which promises to be even better than last year. Our aim is to run a day-long meeting with AGM business in the morning and a guest lecturer in the afternoon. There will also be homeopathic suppliers/retailers. Derek Hennessy is working on the arrangements and we will keep you up-to-date with all arrangements.
CDP
This is a top priority for the Committee this year. The newly formed CPD working group are working hard to put together a whole new schedule of events for the next CPD programme which begins in September and to review how it fits in with the registration process. The current programme runs to June of this year.
Feedback to the Society office suggests that there may be some confusion with the current workshop schedule, so a revised list of current events will be sent out shortly.
The ultimate aim of the Committee is that CPD should be for all members, not just those undergoing registration. With this in mind, it is planned that CPD workshops will eventually be run for all members, incorporating a wide range of workshops that will suit all levels of experience and skill requirements.
Homeopathic Times
A proposal is currently being put together for approval by the Committee from a group of Homeopaths to run the Homeopathic Times.
The Committee is anxious that this happens soon but it is a huge undertaking and may take some time to finalise any proposal.
In the meantime we will keep you updated through our website on the status of this, so check out the members’ area of the site for more information.
Web-site redesign
Our Website has been up and running for 16 months and the feedback from members and the public has been an extremely positive.
However we feel that it now needs upgrading and we plan to make it easier to navigate and eventually allow members pay their annual subscription through the website in addition to the current option of paying through the office.
Suggestions from members about features they would like added are always welcome and can be sent to the ISH Communications Group email -
Recent news items added to the website include (in public area and members only area):
ISH response to CAM register; Response to winter flu outbreak; Spectacular results with homeopathic treatment of leptospirosis in Cuba; Results of ECCH nosode study; Euro-wide homeopathy safety study; Benefits of remedies for different clinical conditions; Irish homeopaths in Africa; An attack on Jeremy Sherr; BMJ article about scathing attack on UK chief scientific advisor for his defence of government policy on homeopathy.
Note:
All fully paid up members - students, graduates and registered members - are entitled to use the members area of the website. To access this area you need to be set up with a username and password. If you do not already have these contact Dianne or Paula in the ISH office. Tel: 01-6755177 or email: dia Matters
A press release on the January flu outbreak promoting homeopathy was sent to 130 media outlets in early January. The Irish Times published a piece on a CAM Register with comments from the ISH. A copy of the article is published on the website.
New General Leaflet on Homeopathy
The information leaflets on Homeopathy are very popular with our members. We currently have leaflets about women, pregnancy, children and old age available from the ISH office. Sheelagh Behan has now put together a new General leaflet to add to our collection. Copies should be available from the office soon for purchase. We will keep you updated and let you know when they are ready. Current leaflets cost 25c each, with a minimum order of 60 leaflets in any combination and an extra €3 for 60 post and packaging. There is an order form on the web site or contact the office.
Data Protection
Homeopaths are NOT required to register with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. They are, however, obliged to comply with the general provisions of the relevant Acts keeping files safe and secure, accurate and up to date and in such a way that a copy can be given to an individual on request. Full details of the regulations as they apply to homeopaths are posted on our website in the Members Area under “Society News”.
Pharmacy Course
Our new offices will have facilities to run a pharmacy course. The timing of the course depends on the level of interest from the members. Anyone interested in taking part in such a course should contact Gillian Wray as soon as possible -
Sally Quinlan
As a tribute the late Sally Quinlan the ISH has been in discussion with a public library in Dublin to set up a homeopathic section with Sally’s book collection, which was donated to the ISH by her family. The aim is to use Sally’s books as a starting point and add any further books as they become available. Lynda Boxwell is in charge of this task on behalf of the ISH. If anyone has books they would like to add to the collection please contact the office.
VHI
The Voluntary Health Insurance Board (VHI) is still refusing to cover homeopathic treatments as part of its patient health insurance packages despite several recent approaches by the Society. We hope to take this matter further by arranging a patients’ petition. We will keep you informed as this develops further.
Overdue membership fees
Some members have still not paid their annual subscription (due since 1st October) for 2008/09. We would urge any members whose fees are due to pay immediately in order to help the Society budget for the current year.