Batt O'Keeffe
Question:113 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if he will provide additional funding in order to carry out 250 additional cardiac surgery procedures in the Southern Health Board area. [7920/97]
Written Answers. - Cardiac Surgery Funding.
Limerick East): I am conscious of the need to develop cardiac surgery facilities in this country. While cardiac surgery services have been developed and enhanced in recent years at both the Mater and Cork University Hospital, I am keenly aware that the demand for these services has continued to increase in the interim. With this in mind I have asked for a thorough examination of service need to be carried out and I envisage that cardiac service throughput will be increased nationally by 500 cases per annum.
To ensure that the service is delivered in the most efficient and effective manner with patient care a priority, I set up an option appraisal group with the intention that four hospitals would be asked to submit proposals for the further development of cardiac surgery services. The four hospitals chosen all have merits in favour of locating the service on their campus and I have asked the group to look carefully at the case for locating the service on each of these sites. I look forward to receiving the report of the option appraisal group which will be presented to me in the coming weeks. The question of additional cardiac procedures at Cork University Hospital will be determined in the light of this report.
The Deputy will be pleased to learn that the Southern Health Board has confirmed that it will perform an additional 150 cardiac procedures this year. This will bring its agreed activity levels for this specialty in 1997 to a total of 400 procedures. This level of activity has been made possible by the substantial funding made available to the hospital in recent years in respect of cardiac services development. I am satisfied that this additional activity will impact positively on waiting times for cardiac procedures.