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

I thank Deputy Cullinane for raising the important issue of the national review of specialist cardiac services and for giving me an opportunity to update the House on the latest position in this regard. The national review of specialist cardiac services commenced in January 2018 under the chairmanship of Professor Phillip Nolan and a steering group was formed from nominations from interested stakeholders representing medical, professional-technical staff and nursing and patient representatives. The aim of this review is to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality and sustainability of the services that patients receive by establishing the need for an optimal configuration of a national adult cardiac service. As set out in the National Development Plan 2018-2027, investment in cardiac catheterisation laboratories and other cardiac services infrastructure nationally will be informed by the outcome of the national review.

Since the steering group first met at the end of January 2018, a large volume of its work has been completed. A total of 13 steering group meetings have taken place with a further two meetings scheduled to take place. To date the national review has completed a public consultation survey and collated and analysed information on activity levels in each of the hospital groups and all hospitals within the groups. A successful and well-attended stakeholder consultation was held in November 2018. The Health Research Board Collaboration in Ireland for Clinical Effectiveness Reviews, HRB-CICER, has completed an evidence review of specialist cardiac services looking at international standards for PCI centres, international models that might be applicable to the Irish healthcare system and the relationship between volume and patient outcomes for PCI. The evidence review has provided important guidance for the steering group thus far and arising from discussions at the steering group, the services have been asked to complete one additional evidence review question. Site visits to PCI centres around Ireland are under way and two international site visits are being planned. These site visits have included meetings with stakeholders in clinical, administrative, nursing and allied health professional roles. Further research is being undertaken by the health intelligence unit of the HSE with regards to geospatial analysis and mapping of networks of cardiac services from a national perspective.

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