Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Health, Deputy Simon Harris is unable to be here today due to a pre-arranged meeting which could not be rescheduled. He sends his apologies.

The Minister received the report on the independent clinical review of the need for provision of a second catheterization laboratory at UHW on foot of the programme for Government commitment. The report was completed by Dr. Niall Herity, a highly-respected Belfast-based cardiologist. It is a comprehensive report which reflects the fact that Dr. Herity consulted widely and met with all of the key stakeholders, including the management and staff of both UHW and Cork University Hospital. Dr. Herity’s calculation of the catchment population for the UHW catheterization laboratory has been challenged since publication of the review.

In his report, Dr. Herity rightly points out that it would be a mistake to assume that the catchment area of UHW is represented by every resident in Waterford and its surrounding counties. Dr. Herity therefore determined the effective catchment population by looking at regional patient flow data and combining this with 2016 census data in regard to the population of Waterford and surrounding counties. Dr. Herity has provided robust evidence that a second cardiac catheterization laboratory at UHW is not justified. However, he recommends increasing the number of weekly sessions currently provided, along with the requisite additional staffing for the increase in sessions, in order to address waiting times and to provide improved access. He also recommends that new specialist equipment be provided to improve contingency for radiological equipment failure during a procedure. The Minister is happy to provide the additional resources necessary to implement these recommendations and as such significantly improve services for patients at UHW. This investment will be reflected in the HSE national service plan for 2017.

During this period of investment and enhancement of services, the situation will be closely monitored. A further independent clinical review will be carried out in early 2017 to assess the impact that these improvements have had on the volume of patients attending the catheterization laboratory in UHW. Dr. Herity has recommended that the UHW catheterization laboratory should operate as an elective laboratory which provides all specialised cardiac services except interventional treatment for patients who are having heart attacks. Dr. Herity has also recommended that the current 9 to 5 provision of these services should cease to allow the hospital to focus on the much larger volume of planned catheterization laboratory work.

The Minister has to be certain that any change to how a service is delivered will result in improved services for the patients using it. Therefore he has asked the Department to address the implications of this recommendation by undertaking a national review of all primary percutaneous coronary intervention, PCI, services with the aim of ensuring that as many patients as possible have access on a 24/7 basis to safe and sustainable emergency interventions following a heart attack. It is expected this review will be completed by the end of July 2017.

The Minister intends to visit UHW in the coming weeks and will take the opportunity to speak with staff and management on a broad range of issues.

See this speech in context