David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1809. To ask the Minister for Health the extent of formal cross-Border healthcare provision, cooperation and integration; the services and locations in which this occurs, such as the paediatric congenital cardiac services in Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin or in the North-West Cancer Centre, County Derry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15531/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There has been significant activity in cross-border health and social care over the last decade and more. The two health sectors continue to react to opportunities for cooperation where it makes practical sense to do so.

The paediatric congenital cardiac services in Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin and the North-West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry are examples of the benefits of cross-border health services.

Significant progress has been made towards the transfer of all cardiac surgical activity from Northern Ireland to Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin with 92 children from Northern Ireland having had cardiac surgery in CHI in 2020.

The development of the North West Cancer Centre brings a cross-border dimension to cancer services – providing radiotherapy services for the whole North West region and delivering the highest standards of specialist care with the latest high tech radiotherapy equipment. The North West Cancer Centre provides access to radiotherapy treatment for 500,000 people including around 110,000 from the South.

Examples of some of the other areas of cross-border healthcare cooperation include:

- The All-island Congenital Heart Disease Network;

- Percutaneous coronary intervention;

- Kidney transplant services;

- Critical care provision; and

- Ambulance services cooperation.

I am committed to strengthening North/South health cooperation where there are clear benefits for both jurisdictions and for patients across the island.