Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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903. To ask the Minister for Health when he expects the new national cardiovascular disease strategy will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34432/22]

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.

The COVID-19 Pandemic impacted on the progress of the review during 2020 and into 2021 as the Chair of the Cardiac Services Review has played a key role in the national COVID-19 response.

Currently the Steering Group is working on the development of the proposed recommendations of the draft report. The Steering Group most recently met on the 26th of May 2022 to further progress the review and planning is underway for the next meeting in the coming weeks.