Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ferris for raising the issue of staffing at University Hospital Kerry. I understand that the Deputy’s concerns relate, in particular, to the provision of cardiology services in the hospital, notwithstanding the wider issues he has raised. He specifically focused on that.

The cardiology department in University Hospital Kerry performs a variety of heart tests such as electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, stress testing, Holter and blood pressure monitoring and pacemaker checks. The current cardiology department staffing complement comprises one consultant cardiologist, one chief cardiology technician, two senior cardiology technicians, one basic grade cardiology technician and an electrocardiography, ECG, technician. From a nursing perspective, the department is supported by a cardiac rehabilitation co-ordinator and a cardiology staff nurse. Furthermore, the department is supported by a health care assistant and administration staff.

In terms of additional cardiology supports, the HSE has advised that over the past number of months two visiting consultants from the South/South West hospital group have commenced attending the hospital on a regular basis. One is scheduled on a weekly-fortnightly basis and the other is scheduled on a monthly basis. These two consultants run additional outpatient clinics with a view to reducing long waiting times for new patients. I understand from the HSE that these clinics are having a significant positive impact on waiting periods. The HSE has further advised that University Hospital Kerry also has links with the cardiology department at University Hospital Limerick. Consistent with the recommendations in the national acute medicine programme for model 3 hospitals such as University Hospital Kerry, patients with acute coronary syndrome are transferred to the primary coronary intervention centre in University Hospital Limerick. Cork University Hospital is the tertiary referral centre for more complex cardiology patients.

I am aware that there have been reports recently about the resignation of the cardiologist from University Hospital Kerry. The Minister, Deputy Harris, has been informed by the HSE that no formal resignations have been received in this regard. The HSE has further assured the Minister that if a formal resignation is received, the hospital will immediately seek to commence the process of recruiting a replacement and will seek to appoint a locum consultant cardiologist in the interim.

With regard to the recruitment of medical staff, in July 2013 a working group chaired by Professor Brian MacCraith, president of Dublin City University, was established to carry out a strategic review of medical training and career structure. The group made 25 recommendations relating to training and career pathways for doctors with a focus on improving graduate retention in the public health system and planning for future service needs. It is significant that, overall, the number of consultants has increased by 109 in the 12 months ending December 2017 to a total of 2,971 whole-time equivalents and by 415 in the four years since December 2013.

The Minister for Health is deeply committed to ensuring that we have the necessary resources in place at all times for the delivery of safe patient care, both at University Hospital Kerry and throughout the health services. On the recruitment of consultants in particular, the HSE has streamlined the approval process for consultant posts in our hospitals and, notwithstanding significant recruitment and retention challenges, considerable progress has been made in the past four years in growing the numbers of doctors in the public health services as additional resources have become available.

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