Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for attending the committee today to address this very important issue.

Whereas much of this has been said already in Waterford and the south east, this will be on the record of the House now, which is very important. On 17 October last, I wrote to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health to request that it examine the Herity report and to invite the relevant stakeholders. We are all aware of the fallout from the publication, and as has been stated by the consultants and clinicians working in University Hospital Waterford, UHW, and other places, the report is flawed and the findings are rejected. Senator Swanick, who is a doctor from County Mayo, in the earlier session asked Dr. Herity, as one doctor to another, whether he believed lives were in danger in the absence of a second catheterisation laboratory in Waterford and the lack of provision of 24-7 care. Dr. Herity replied he did not and that patients should be treated in high-volume centres. I seek the witnesses' views in this regard.

Dr. Herity also spoke about the length of time it takes to get from Waterford to Cork and referred to real world ambulance times, which he stated were 88 minutes with blue lights flashing. While Senator Swanick put it to him that this target time is an aspiration, Dr. Herity did not accept that. I seek the witnesses' thoughts on that as well.

Some of the questions I will ask have been answered before, but I think it is important that it is stated on the record in the House. Dr. Owens has said that the fundamental problem in Waterford and the south east is a capacity-demand mismatch, and I would appreciate it if he could elaborate on that. What happens if a patient is undergoing a treatment in the catheterisation laboratory in Waterford and another patient presents on an emergency basis? What happens to both patients in that instance? I ask Dr. Owens to talk us through that important point.

Is this a single point of failure when trying to perform the duties of a cardiologist? In the absence of a second catheterisation laboratory and 24-7 cardiac care, are lives being endangered? Will people die as a result? The last question is for any witness who wishes to answer. Is there a clear clinical need for 24-7 cardiology care in UHW?