Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this very important issue and giving me the opportunity to address the House on behalf of the Minister for Health.

The Minister wishes to acknowledge the distress overcrowding in the dialysis unit at Tallaght Hospital may cause to patients, their families and the front-line staff working in very challenging conditions. Improvements in healthcare delivery have resulted in the improved survival of all patients, particularly those with diabetes and suffering from hypertension. This, coupled with the increased prevalence of both diseases, have led to a progressive rise in the numbers of patients presenting with end-stage kidney disease who require dialysis. The Minister accepts that the haemodialysis service in the dialysis unit at Tallaght Hospital is under increasing pressure to meet the new level of demand and ensure the provision of timely, safe and effective care for patients.

The dialysis unit at Tallaght Hospital was designed in 1985 and the Minister is aware that there are challenges in complying with current clinical guidelines and concerns about infection control. The dialysis unit is operating at full capacity and there is no scope to increase capacity because of infrastructural issues. In the short term, to address the requirement for additional haemodialysis service capacity, consideration is being given to providing additional funding to enable the hospital to outsource additional haemodialysis sessions to satellite dialysis units. The Deputy will be aware that in the longer term the development of a new facility to replace the existing dialysis unit is planned. The importance of the project is acknowledged as it reflects a long-standing need to upgrade dialysis facilities. Detailed designs have been completed and planning permission has been obtained for the project. The Minister understands that in December 2017 the hospital invited contractors to tender for the works and that the tenders have been evaluated. He further understands from the HSE that its directorate recently approved the award of the contract for the project and that this will be formally communicated to the hospital in the near future. The hospital will continue to work with the HSE to complete the project.

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