The RCSI Hospitals Group was established in 2015 following the publication of the Higgins Report in 2013. The objective of grouping hospitals was to allow appropriate integration and improve patient flow across the continuum of care. Each grouping includes a primary academic partner which stimulates a culture of learning and openness to change within the hospital group. Our Academic Partner is the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). The Group comprises of Beaumont Hospital, St Joseph’s Hospital Raheny, Connolly Hospital, Cavan and Monaghan Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Louth County Hospital, Rotunda Hospital

Healthy Ireland is bringing together people and organisations from across the country into a national movement to address the social, economic and environmental factors that contribute to poor physical and mental health and to address health inequalities. This approach reflects a shared commitment in Government and throughout communities to support people to be as healthy and well as they can.

P.13. There are a number of key risk factors that overlap to give a high prevalence of chronic disease:
• One in five children is overweight.
• Almost one in five of the population smoke.
• Alcohol consumption in Ireland is the fifth highest in Europe.

P.26 4.2 Tobacco Free Ireland
This section outlines the current and future priority actions underway to support Tobacco Free environment in all the RCSI Hospitals. In summary, our actions are focussed on three main elements of work – Tobacco Free Campus, Training of Staff in Brief Intervention and MECC, Provision of specialist smoking cessation services for patients and staff……

P.29. 4.5 Alcohol
The burden of alcohol harm on the Hospital services is well recognised and population surveys suggest one and half million adults in Ireland drink in a harmful manner. The HSE have established a National Alcohol Programme with responsibility for developing, planning and overseeing an Action Plan in line with the Report of the National Substance Misuse Steering Group (2012). The key priorities are to raise awareness of the harm caused by alcohol and build the capacity within the health services to address excessive consumption. Through this plan the RCSI Hospitals Group will identify key actions to support the work of the Alcohol Programme within the hospital setting………