Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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381. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department officials will work with their counterparts in the North of Ireland to examine the potential to deliver a thrombectomy service in the north west for stroke patients on both sides of the border, similar to the radiotherapy services provided at the North West Cancer Centre at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry. [7093/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health is committed to continuing close and productive cooperation with Northern Ireland on health and social care issues and I will meet with Minister Nesbitt to discuss cooperation in the health sector in the coming days.

There are a number of existing agreements in place covering specific specialist Cross Border initiatives that ensure that patients can receive a range of medical procedures/services as close to home as possible. This has helped reduce travel time, and the ease of access, which has been hugely beneficial for patients, their families and carers across the island.

With respect to a potential thrombectomy services, endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is the gold standard of treatment for patients with large vessel occlusion strokes (approximately 15-205 of all strokes). 566 patients received EVT in 2023, just over 10% of all stroke cases. This represents a 17% increase since 2022, demonstrating the growth of the service.

The HSE National Stroke Strategy 2022-2027 aims to modernise and reform stroke services in line with Sláintecare policy and address the challenges facing Ireland from population ageing and the predicted increase in the total number of strokes in Ireland.

The strategy provides a blueprint for required investment in stroke services over the five-year period from 2022-2027 with an overall estimated investment of €37m. To date, the government has invested over €13m to implement the strategy.

The Stroke Strategy recommends strengthening our two existing thrombectomy centres at Beaumont Hospital Dublin and Cork University Hospital to ensure they can provide 24/7 services.

Some progress has been made with regard to this with funding in 2023 providing for the recruitment of an additional consultant neuro-radiologist.

There is ongoing engagement at official level to explore areas of health cooperation that could be further expanded to benefit residents on the island of Ireland on a cross border basis. Working collaboratively to address healthcare challenges in both jurisdictions is of the utmost importance and, as such, enhancing North-South cooperation will continue to be a priority for my department.

I’m advised by my officials that there is ongoing engagement between the HSE National Clinical Programme for Stroke and their counterparts in the Northern Irish Health Service regarding areas of mutual interest.