Written answers

Tuesday, 23 May 2017

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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493. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the provision timeline for the mobile catheterisation laboratory at University Hospital Waterford as announced by the Minister of State, Deputy Halligan, on 13 January 2017; when it will be on site; the length of time it will be on site; the number of hours per week it will be operable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24330/17]

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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519. To ask the Minister for Health when the terms of reference will be decided for the next clinical review of cardiac care in the south east, based at University Hospital Waterford. [24553/17]

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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520. To ask the Minister for Health if PPCI intervention services are under threat at University Hospital Waterford. [24533/17]

Photo of Mary ButlerMary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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521. To ask the Minister for Health the status of waiting lists for PPCI intervention at University Hospital Waterford. [24534/17]

Photo of Bobby AylwardBobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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522. To ask the Minister for Health the cost of the daily running of the mobile catheterisation laboratory for the south east (details supplied); when the mobile catheterisation laboratory will be fully operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24572/17]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 493, and 519 to 522, inclusive, together.

The Deputy will be aware that in his review of cath lab services in University Hospital Waterford (UHW), Dr Niall Herity recommended that the UHW cath lab should operate as an elective lab which provides all specialised cardiac services except interventional treatment for patients who are having heart attacks (PPCI). Dr. Herity also recommended that the current 9 to 5 provision of these emergency services should cease in order to allow the hospital to focus on the much larger volume of planned cath lab work. In addition, investment was recommended to enable the hospital to provide additional cath lab capacity. In that regard, additional funding of €0.5m has been provided to UHW in 2017.

In relation to the cessation of PPCI services at the hospital, as Minister for Health, I want to be sure that any service changes which we implement, will result in improved services for patients using that service. Therefore, I have asked my Department to address the implications of this recommendation by undertaking a national review of all PPCI services with the aim to ensure that as many patients as possible have access, on a 24/7 basis, to safe and sustainable emergency interventions following a heart attack. Terms of Reference for that review have not yet been drafted. In the meantime, patients in the South East will continue to have access to out of hours PPCI services at Cork University Hospital (CUH) or St James's Hospital, Dublin.

Given the emergency nature of PPCI services, there are no waiting lists for such treatment. In respect of scheduled cardiology services at UHW, the HSE has advised that, following a targeted initiative, all patients who, in December 2016, were waiting over 3 months for an in-patient/day case cardiology procedure at UHW will have been seen in CUH/UHW by the end of June 2017. According to April 2017 NTPF data, a total of 380 patients are waiting for a cardiology in-patient/day case procedure at UHW, with 224 of those waiting less than 3 months. To continue this excellent progress, I have asked the HSE to maximise the benefit for patients from the additional €0.5m funding provided to UHW this year, in respect of both additional sessions at the existing cath lab and the temporary use of a mobile cath lab for a specific period. I expect further details on this to be available shortly.

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