David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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552. To ask the Minister for Health the unit or person who will have ownership of the implementation of the national cardiac services review when it is published; the lead responsible for cardiovascular policy; the way in which, aside from the HSE national heart programme, the recommendations will be advanced, monitored and evaluated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61172/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services commenced in January 2018 under the Chairmanship of Professor Phillip Nolan and a Steering Group formed from nominations of interested stakeholders representing medical, professional/technical staff, nursing and patient representatives.

The aim of the Cardiac Services 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. This aligns with the Sláintecare reform programme. In terms of scope, the National Review covers scheduled and unscheduled hospital-based services for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease in adults.

Substantial progress has been made on the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services. The COVID-19 Pandemic impacted on the progress of the review during 2020 and into 2021 as the Chair of the National Review has played a key role in the national COVID-19 response as a member of the NPHET and Chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group. However, the Cardiac Services Review is now making progress again, and the Steering Group reconvened in September 2021 with a view to finalisation of the Report.

The Steering Group is currently working on the development of the proposed recommendations of the draft Report. The implementation process for the National Cardiac Services Review is also being developed as part of the process to finalise the Report.