David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House. I am pleased he is taking this Commencement motion.

I have raised this at least seven times as a Commencement motion in the Seanad over recent years. When the new hospital groups were being established - it was not under Deputy Varadkar's leadership but under the leadership of a previous Minister for Health - Waterford was grouped with Cork in a new hospital grouping and we were promised 24-7 cardiology care for the south east to be provided in University Hospital Waterford as part of that new hospital grouping.

We have one catheterisation laboratory, cath lab, which is open five days a week from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. and three interventional cardiologists. Patients may be treated in emergency circumstances from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., but outside of these hours, if somebody presents as an emergency, although we have 24-7 consultant cover, we do not have the primary percutaneous coronary intervention, PPCI, cover and patients are transferred to hospitals in the south and south west for emergency treatment outside of those hours. On the previous occasion I raised this as a motion in the Seanad, I was told that an extension to the service would require three additional interventional cardiologists or consultant cardiologists, extra support staff and a second cath lab, involving a capital cost of €1.9 million and a revenue cost of approximately €2.7 million. The Government tells us constantly that the economy is recovering, there is more money and the Exchequer figures are up. If that is to mean anything to citizens, these are the types of services which should be provided.

Figures reported in the Waterford News and Starlast week show that Waterford was the sixth busiest cardiology service in the State. St. James's Hospital in Dublin was the busiest, followed by Cork, the Mater in Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. A number of hospitals see fewer patients but yet have 24-7 emergency cardiology cover and two cath labs. It is the same old story for Waterford and the south east. While we have the population of 500,000 and there is clear demand given that it is the sixth busiest cardiology service, we do not have the 24-7 cardiology cover that people feel they deserve and need and which was promised by the previous Minister for Health.

In light of the response I received in August which referred to the cost and the resources that needed to be put in place to have 24-7 cardiology, what is Government policy? Is there a commitment to 24-7 cardiology, are we working towards it, are there any plans for additional services in this area for University Hospital Waterford and will the Minister update the House on that?