Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 4 Feb 1999

Vol. 499 No. 5

Written Answers. - Hospital Waiting Lists.

John V. Farrelly

Question:

88 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients on the waiting list for cardiac surgery in the Mater Hospital, Dublin 7, from the North-Eastern Health Board region; the plans, if any, he has to provide finance to clear this waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3080/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

I have had inquiries made of the hospital authorities regarding this matter and I have been advised that there are currently 64 patients from the North-Eastern Health Board area on the Mater Hospital's cardiac surgery waiting list.

As Minister for Health and Children, my priority is to address the existing cardiac surgery waiting lists and the ultimate objective is to achieve an average six month waiting period for those on the lists. I am confident that the development of additional adult public cardiac surgery facilities at St. James's Hospital, Dublin, and University College Hospital, Galway, will help reduce the waiting lists which exist at present. Target activity levels on completion of these developments are in the region of 450 procedures annually at St. James's Hospital and 300 procedures at UCHG. This additional activity will increase existing adult public cardiac surgery capacity by over 50 per cent. I am also developing additional children's cardiac surgery capacity at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, in association with the National Cardiac Unit, Mater Hospital, to provide for up to an additional 100 cardiac procedures for children. This additional activity will increase existing paediatric cardiac surgery capacity by up to 40 per cent.

The Deputy will be aware that in 1998 I allocated funding of £2.3 million under the cardiac surgery waiting list initiative, with the specific aim of reducing the national cardiac surgery waiting list for adults and children. In 1999, I have made provision for the allocation of £4 million under the cardiac surgery waiting list initiative and I am confident that this funding will build on last year's success in reducing the total number of adults and children on the waiting list and I am also confident that it will have a positive impact for patients on the cardiac surgery waiting list from the North-Eastern Health Board area. The impact of the 1998 cardiac surgery waiting list initiative was to reduce the overall numbers waiting adults and children at the end of September 1998 by 349. This represents a reduction of 22 per cent on the figure for September 1997.