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Speaking during a visit to Loughlinstown today, Minister of State for Health Promotion, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy TD, welcomed the launch of the Ireland East Hospital Group Healthy Ireland Implementation Plan. The Plan sets out the actions under Healthy Ireland which the Ireland East Hospital Group is committed to implementing, to improve the health and wellbeing of staff, patients and communities.
Minister Corcoran Kennedy congratulated the Hospital Group on the Plan and commented that “The health service has an important role in working to improve the health and wellbeing of everybody living in Ireland. The Plan being launched today is a significant milestone showing commitment, leadership and determination to ensure the protection and improvement of the health and wellbeing of everyone in the region served by the Ireland East Hospital Group and by all of those who work in the service.”
This plan identifies four broad priority areas to achieve maximum impact on patients and staff in positively influencing their lifestyles to generate a happier and healthier population and workforce:
Physical Environment: Provide the facilities and a supportive environment to enable staff and patients to make healthier choices
Staff health and wellbeing: Promoting staff wellness and resilience
Partnership: With community and other relevant organisations
Patient Health & Wellbeing: Reduce the rate of growth in chronic illness.

Across the priority areas, actions will be taken by the Hospital Group on issues such as smoking, healthy eating and active living, alcohol, wellbeing and positive mental health, healthy childhood and positive ageing. Empowerment is also a key theme in the Plan, with actions on staff health and wellbeing, making every contact count and self-management supports.
Minister Corcoran Kennedy noted that “None of the actions, in isolation, will reduce the increasing burden of chronic disease that we face in the health service. But all of the actions taken together, with all of the staff of the Ireland East Hospital Group committed to implementing them, will create results.”
The Minister thanked all of those involved in producing the Plan and concluded by saying that “Improving health and wellbeing and preventing ill health often comes down to people making small, and sometimes not so small, changes in their lifestyles and behaviours. This Plan demonstrates a fantastic commitment by everyone working in the Ireland East Hospital Group to making those changes.”

Notes for Editors:
The Ireland East Hospital Group (IEHG) was established in January 2015.

The 11 hospitals in the group in the counties Dublin, Meath, Westmeath, Kilkenny and Wexford. These are:
St Vincent’s University Hospital
Mater Misericondiae University Hospital
National Maternity Hospital
Wexford General Hospital
Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital
Our Lady’s Hospital Navan
Regional Hospital Mullingar
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital
St Columcille’s Hospital
St Luke's Hospital Carlow Kilkenny
St Michaels Hospital Dun Laoghaire