David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1014. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the promised regional review; and when it will be completed. [1355/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In July 2017, I agreed to expedite the commencement of a national review of all PPCI services, encompassing the South East region, and to commence the preparatory work, including examining the scope of the review. One of the guiding principles for this review is to strive to provide a PPCI service that can deliver clinical outcomes on a par with international standards. The Steering Group for the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services has now been established and its first meeting is due to take place on 31 January. The Chair of the Steering Group is Professor Philip Nolan, President of Maynooth University. The National Review aims to report to the Minister within 12-18 months of its first meeting.

Specialist cardiac services cover scheduled and unscheduled hospital-based services for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease. For the purposes of this National Review, services will include diagnostic (invasive and non-invasive) services, interventional services (to manage coronary artery disease, rhythm disturbances, structural abnormalities and adult congenital heart disease with such interventions usually being performed in cardiac catheterisation laboratories), intensive cardiac care unit, heart failure service, arrhythmia management service, in-patient care for chronic cardiovascular disorders, out-patient services, rehabilitation, teaching, management functions, and sub-specialist clinics and electrophysiological services where appropriate. The National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services will examine all activity in cardiac catheterisation laboratories nationally. This will include the activity data from the mobile lab in UHW.