Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney.

The Minister has identified the need to improve services to persons with cystic fibrosis in the Estimates process over recent years. Since 2006, additional revenue funding of €6.78 million has been allocated to the Health Service Executive to develop services for patients with cystic fibrosis.

The Health Service Executive has received several requests to fund the provision of high frequency chest compression, HFCC, vests to assist in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. A preliminary review undertaken by the Health Service Executive in early 2008 did not provide a sufficient evidence base in terms of effectiveness to recommend the use of the vest.

Following on from this, a more substantive review process was conducted to enable the Health Service Executive evaluate more comprehensively the benefits, or otherwise, of HFCC vests in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. Suitable expertise in the field of cystic fibrosis was identified and a cross-directorate group, including expertise from the Health Information and Quality Authority, was established by the Health Service Executive early this year. The evaluation group submitted its report last month. It found there was not sufficient evidence at this point to recommend the HFCC vest as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. It concluded there was no significant benefit for the vest over conventional physiotherapy.

Based on the recommendations of this group, the Health Service Executive decided the HFCC vest could not be endorsed at this time for use in the treatment of cystic fibrosis. However, the Health Service Executive is open to reviewing this evaluation should relevant evidence-based information become available.

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