Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, for being present to take this matter. Indeed, I acknowledge that he has a good record of attendance to deal with Topical Issues.

There has been some confusion about this matter. I had agreed earlier that we might defer the matter until Tuesday but, apparently, decisions were made elsewhere on the matter. However, I am deeply grateful to the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this topic relating to pancreas transplants.

It was reported last week that the former director of the national pancreas transplant programme has accused Beaumont Hospital of abandoning gravely ill patients on the waiting list. Mr. David Hickey was quoted as saying that the hospital and the HSE were taking an "unethical and callous" approach to patients on the waiting list by seeking to wind up the programme without telling them.

He said, "I hate to see a pancreas programme that has been run well with minimal resources, with patients urgently needing transplants, being squashed because no one gives a damn." Finally, he said that the HSE could find itself facing charges of corporate manslaughter if it failed to provide appropriate levels of care for seriously ill patients. These are extremely serious charges coming from a surgeon who has had an illustrious career.

It would appear that no pancreas transplants have been carried out in Ireland since Mr. Hickey retired last December. Mr. Hickey, who has carried out over 1,500 kidney and pancreas transplants, said he offered to stay on for two years but this was rejected by the hospital. He maintains - it is difficult to disagree - that it is unconscionable that no plan has been made for seriously ill patients four months after his retirement. His retirement date was known for 30 years, but no plans were put in place for that.

It is fair to say that this is a rather bad situation, to put it at its mildest. What does the Minister think? When is it going to be rectified? I appreciate that by the standards of some waiting lists, eight people waiting is not a high number. That was the figure mentioned, although I believe Mr. Hickey has referred to 18 people. Either way, it is not a vast number, but I suspect four months without activity is not a situation the Minister would stand over.

Situating a national transplant programme in a regional hospital was a mistake, Mr. Hickey said. He claimed the hospital was run by people with clipboards who cared only about budgets. I understand that from next month, pancreas transplants are to be carried out at St. Vincent's University Hospital. Moreover, under new arrangements for combined kidney and pancreas transplants, consultants from Beaumont will carry out kidney transplants. However, it is not clear who will carry out the pancreas transplants. Mr. Hickey was trenchant on this matter as well, saying that those in Beaumont had "no idea what they're talking about" in respect of the proposed transfer of services to St. Vincent's. He continued:

You can’t just flick a switch and call it a transplant centre. Who is going to do the work?

Given the critical nature of this particular issue, it is appropriate that we raise it in the House and provide the Minister with an opportunity to address these rather trenchant criticisms. I imagine it is our universal desire to see the problems rectified as a matter of urgency, and I look forward to hearing how the Minister proposes to do just that.

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