Dr. Eamonn Faller:

First, I will introduce myself to the Deputies and Senators. My name is Eamonn Faller and I am a doctor who has spent a considerable amount of time working at St James's Hospital, but I will return to this later. I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 14. I am from Galway and the experience of living in Galway and requiring twice-weekly trips to Dublin for treatment lends me pretty good insight into the profound effect the location of this hospital will have on patients and their families. The effect is profound and I will tell the committee why. What is not being realised here is that one extra hour in traffic for a sick child is heaping misery upon mystery. Among the most visceral memories I have of my own experience is being spread out across the back seat of my parents' car, nauseous and weak as the car crawled through Dublin traffic and wishing away every second of that car journey. This experience was not particular to me; it will resonate with families up and down the country. There is no doubt in my mind that an enormous amount of patient hardship would be saved by locating the hospital at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. Nine out of ten patients who require complex and specialist care are from outside of the M50 and these are the people who will suffer most due to this poor decision.

With regard to teens transitioning to the adult service, I am a patient who would have benefitted from this co-location with St. James's Hospital. My care was eventually transferred to St. James's Hospital after I reached the age of 18. The other problems with the site absolutely dwarf any potential benefit that could be achieved in this regard. On a personal level, issues with access during the acute phase of my illness caused me far more hardship than attending a different centre for follow-up after the age of 18. The transition argument does not stack up at all in Dublin, given the fragmented nature of services. A very small proportion of patients would have the potential to benefit. Neurosurgery and renal transplant patients will still go to Beaumont Hospital, cystic fibrosis patients will still go to St. Vincent's University Hospital and cardiac disease and spinal surgery patients will still go to the Mater Hospital. This brings us back to the potential for expansion, at least, in Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown over the coming decades and there might be potential to transfer services there.