Vol. 443 No. 3
46 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health the number of public patients who are on the waiting lists for cardiac surgery at the Mater Hospital, Dublin 7; the length of the waiting list; the length of the emergency waiting list; the equivalent waiting time for private patients at the Mater Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The number of patients on the cardiac surgery waiting list at the National Cardiac Surgery Unit, Mater Hospital is 1,510 as at 25 May, 1994. The admission of a patient to hospital is a clinical decision taken by the consultant concerned and is solely based on the patient's condition. There are 110 patients on the "very urgent" waiting list and I have been informed by the Mater Hospital that these patients usually undergo cardiac surgery within two months.
The National Cardiac Surgery Unit does not operate a separate waiting list for private patients. All cardiac surgery patients are treated as public patients at the National Cardiac Surgery Unit and are admitted in accordance with their medical condition.
Patients may opt to attend a cardiothoracic consultant in a private capacity in a private hospital. Private out-patient services are arranged by the consultant concerned outside of public commitment under the Common Contract.
In 1993, I allocated a sum of £1 million from the waiting list fund to enable the facilities to be put in place at the National Cardiac Unit, Mater Hospital to increase the throughput of open heart surgery at the hospital. In addition, in 1993, I provided capital funds which will facilitate the doubling of cardiac surgery at Cork Regional Hospital from 200-400 patients each year.
The major programme of refurbishment at the National Cardiac Surgical Centre is ongoing. I have allocated in excess of £2 million in 1994 to the Mater Hospital for cardiac surgery and related developments. The development which is nearing completion includes additional cardiac maintenance beds, intensive care facilities and high dependency facilities which are required to support the cardiac surgery programme, including heart transplantation.
This development, together with the developments in progress for cardiac surgery at Cork Regional Hospital, will have the effect of increasing the number of open heart surgery operations performed on an annual basis in the public hospital sector by 47 per cent.
