Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy McLoughlin has plenty of influence within the party structures and the Government structures. I thank Deputy MacSharry for the question. The Government is committed to ensuring that all citizens have access to safe, high-quality and evidence-based care, in line with international norms. Sligo University Hospital, which I had the pleasure of visiting recently, provides high-quality healthcare to the people of Sligo, Leitrim, south Donegal and west Cavan. At present there are two cath labs based in Galway that service acute cardiac cases for Sligo and the north west. For elective cases there is a mobile cath lab unit that operates two days per week in Sligo.

It is important to note that specialist cardiac catheterisation laboratory services are provided in a small number of hospitals to ensure that the services provided achieve the required standards of safety, quality and sustainability in the interests of patients. I want to check whether there is a fair distribution of these throughout the country because I have heard the concerns of Deputy MacSharry and others about how they are located. For this reason, I established the national review of specialist cardiac services. This is ongoing and it is expected that its work will be completed in June. The aim of the review is to identify where we should have the cath labs to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level and an optimal configuration of a national adult cardiac service.

As set out in the national development plan, investment in such laboratories and other cardiac services nationally will be informed by the outcome of the national review. This was sought by Deputies on all sides of the House. It will provide us with the detailed information we need by June, and I will certainly act on it then.

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