James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To respond to the final matter raised by the Deputy, of course we are very much committed to a new strategic development on how Beaumont Hospital is organised and the paucity of single beds in the hospital as a whole. It was built in the 1980s but with a plan hailing from the 1950s and 1960s. It is in need of modernisation. No modern hospital would be built on the basis of big open wards. It would comprise mostly private rooms, as we intend in the new national paediatric hospital. I apologise - I meant single rooms, not private rooms, and these single rooms would be en-suite. More rooms are available in Beaumont Hospital but they are not dedicated solely to cystic fibrosis sufferers.

I accept that it is extremely worrying for people who have cystic fibrosis and their families that if their condition is exacerbated they must sit in an emergency department. Last week I met representatives of the clinical programmes, Mr. Philip Watt from Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and Professor Gerry McElvaney and discussed examining an improved patient flow mechanism so patients do not have to go through the emergency department.

I have not mentioned to date the decision of the Government to make available the new drug Kalydeco, which, for particular genotypes of cystic fibrosis sufferers, has proven to be a bit of a wonder drug. Last week I met a young lady who has been on the drug for over a year. In this period of time she has not been hospitalised on a single occasion. Normally in a given year she would have been hospitalised at least three times for an average of two weeks on each occasion. The improvement in her quality of life has been phenomenal. There is also an improvement from the taxpayer's point of view with regard to saved admissions. The drug is very expensive - there is no question about this - but it works for those for whom it is suitable, and genotyping means we know those who will benefit most from it. This will change what is now seen as best practice with regard to the number of single en-suite beds required for patients with cystic fibrosis, as will further developing community facilities, because, as I stated, the aim is to keep patients with susceptibility to infection, such as those with cystic fibrosis, out of hospital if at all possible and reduce their exposure to harmful pathogens which are, sadly, always in our hospitals to a greater or lesser extent.

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