METRO FREE Tuesday, September 29, 2009 VSO urgently needs experienced teachers to volunteer their skills in Africa & Asia www.vso.ie Text VSO to 51500 to register your interest. (standard SMS costs apply SP-PUCA 01 2186831 PO Box 10975, Dublin 4) HELP METRO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT. RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER TODAY INSIDE TODAY Details: Page 10 Couples Retreat: See it first and Free with Metro See Page 6 Kylies big day on hold as lover is not ready... PLUS METRO Classified pages Pages 18-21 Singer Janet Jackson has returned to the limelight for the first time since her brother Michaels funeral, posing for photographers as she arrived for the amfAR Foundation for Aids Research event at Milan Fashion Week last night Picture: Getty BY SARAH STACK Health service 13th in EuropeEuropEan health experts yesterday revealed standards in Irelands healthcare system have been steadily improving over the last three years. The Euro Health Consumer Index (EHCI) ranked the service 13th out of 33 other European coun- tries up two places since last year. The Irish health service scored 701 out of a possible 1,000 points with The netherlands topping the survey with 875 points. The uKs nHS was 14th with a score of 682. Ireland has jumped 15 places since the HSEs health transformation programme started in 2006 when it ranked 28th out of 29 countries. professor Brendan Drumm, HSE chief execu- tive, said the ranking shows the services moderni- sation programme is working. The EHCI, com- piled from public statistics, patient polls and independent research by think-tank Health Con- sumer powerhouse, judges six areas: patients rights and information, e-Health, waiting times, treatment outcomes, range and reach of services provided, and access to medication. Ireland scored top marks in four of seven health categories: infant death per 1,000; cancer five-year survival; preventable years of life lost per 100,000 in the 0-69 group; and percentage of diabetics with Hba1c levels above seven. It performed poorest for waiting times and e-Health the electronic transfer of data from pro- fessionals, prescriptions, and lab tests to patients. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html