Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1094. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a detailed timeline for the initiation, progress, and finalisation by his Department of the Steering Group for the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services. [44282/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The National Review of Cardiac Services (NRCS) was commissioned in 2017, and a memo was prepared for the Minister detailing a panel of nominees to chair the NRCS. The NRCS commenced in January 2018 under the Chairmanship of Professor Phillip Nolan and a steering group formed from nominations of interested stakeholders. The steering group firstly undertook the formulation of the principles of the NRCS and the terms of reference. Substantial progress was made on the NRCS, and several elements of the project plan were defined prior to the impact of COVID-19 in late 2019.

In late 2019, the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted the NRCS. The steering group reconvened on the 20th of September 2021 and met with a view to finalisation of the NRCS. The initial data was updated at that point. The steering group held their final meeting in October 2022 and NRCS Report was finalised in 2023. The Chair of the steering group met with Minister Donnelly in November 2023. The Minister also received advice from the CMO on the need to develop a holistic approach to developing cardiac services.

The Minister identified several current priority areas for the development of cardiovascular services while progressing the NRCS to Government. The Minister sought to secure funding through Budget 2025 before progressing a memo for Government. Funding was secured in Budget 2025 to progress cardiovascular services, noting the requirement for data-driven service improvement and a need to situate the NRCS within a wider context to include prevention and rehabilitation as well as hospital-based and integrated care to deliver a wider systems approach to cardiac care. The Minister will present the NRCS to Government for further consideration at the earliest opportunity recognising that the Report, when published will provide the foundations for the development of a significant new national Cardiovascular Strategy, noting that this will take time to develop and will require iterative reform to ensure effectiveness and sustainability.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1095. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a schedule of meetings of the Steering Group for the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services; and to provide a schedule of meetings between his Department and representatives of the steering group. [44283/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The National Review of Cardiac Services (NRCS) 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 steering group undertook the formulation of the principles of the NRCS and the terms of reference.

The NRCS steering group met on 16 occasions from 31st January 2018 to October 2022. Between steering group meetings of 31-Jan-20 and October 2022 the COVID-19 pandemic impacted on the progress of the NRCS and deferral of steering group meetings as the Chair of the NRCS played a key role in the national COVID-19 response. Department officials met with the steering group members in preparation for the meetings and follow up from those meetings.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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1096. To ask the Minister for Health to provide a list of those who were consulted by the Steering Group for the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services. [44284/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The National Review of Cardiac (NRCS) was undertaken in consultation with stakeholders from across the Irish cardiac community, service users and the public along with the input of international expertise. From the outset, consultation was a core pillar of the NRCS recognising the far-reaching value such consultation would yield. The NRCS was commissioned in 2017, and a memo was prepared for the Minister detailing a panel of nominees to chair the NRCS. The NRCS commenced in January 2018 under the Chairmanship of Professor Phillip Nolan and a steering group formed from nominations of interested stakeholders on consultation with:

•Irish Association of Directors of Nursing and Midwifery

•Irish Institute of Clinical Measurement Science

•President of the Irish Cardiac Society

•President of the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine Royal College of Surgeons Ireland

•President, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland

•President, Royal College of Physicians Ireland

•Dean, Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians Ireland

•Chief Executive Officer of the Irish Heart Foundation

•Director General, Health Service Executive

Other 2017 consultations included various Ministers, Councillors, Senators and TDs from the South East region.

The steering group comprised fifteen individuals which included two patients, seven healthcare professionals (nominated by relevant professional organisations), three senior HSE representatives and three senior Department officials. Collectively the steering group membership had expertise in clinical provision, service management, service policy, clinical effectiveness and patient safety, public health and patient experience.

The NRCS also utilised extensive stakeholder consultation which included a call for submissions and a peer review panel of three international experts that provided independent, robust and transparent criteria-based peer review. These measures along with the relevant professional and patient input crafted a comprehensive national review to the highest quality standard. The format of the consultation and engagement with the cardiac clinical community, patients and public included three main pillars:

• Site Visits: a series of consultations was conducted, and site visits were undertaken to each major cardiology unit in Ireland providing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) and to exemplar centres in the Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast and the Golden Jubilee Hospital Glasgow due to similar service requirements.

• Stakeholder Day: In November 2018, a stakeholder one day event specifically for patients, the public and patient organisations provided an opportunity to share experiences and information regarding cardiac services and the NRCS process. Consultation process sought to ascertain substantive comments, opinions and written submissions on experiences of the current situation and services. Invited organisations included;

•Age Action

•All-Island Congenital Heart Disease Network

•Cardiac Risk in the Young

•Croí

•Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) Network

•Heartbeat Trust

•Heart Children Ireland

•Irish Heart Disease Awareness

•Irish Heart Foundation

•Irish Hospice Foundation

•National Women’s Council of Ireland

•Pavee Point

• A Public Consultation: the patient and public engagement process included a web-based questionnaire using the Qualtrics platform and consultations were undertaken in line with the ‘Consultation Principles and Guidance’ document published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in November 2016. On 30th May 2018, a Public Consultation on behalf of the NRCS commenced in the form of a web-based public consultation questionnaire. The questionnaire remained open until 17th August 2018, running for a total of 79 days. National newspapers (Irish Times and Sunday Independent) carried advertisements for the public consultation and social media in the form of Twitter, and the Department website were used as the digital platforms to promote the consultation. Details regarding the consultation were included in a press release of 2nd July 2018 and a final dedicated press release as a reminder of the closing date was issued on 14th August 2018.

Other consultations included;

• The National Heart Programme (NHP) had been established during the pause of the steering group’s work due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, therefore, significant engagement with the NHP and the HSE Integrated Care Programme for Chronic Disease was undertaken.

• National Ambulance Service - Chief Ambulance Officer

• National Institute for Prevention and Cardiovascular Health (NIPC) – Chief Executive Officer and NIPC Medical and Research Director Chair of Executive Council

• Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council - Clinical Programme Manager Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council

These, together with, systematically gathered evidence, informed the deliberations of the steering group and the recommendations of the NRCS. The steering group is very grateful to those colleagues and patients who supported, facilitated and participated in the consultation process.