Written Answers - Hospital Waiting Lists.
Richard Bruton
Question:
250
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
the number of patients on the waiting list for coronary surgery; the number of surgical procedures undertaken in the most recent 12 months in this regard; the number of hours of consultant time available per week for public patients and the number of consultants involved; the number of patients waiting more than two years and more than three years for heart surgery; and the projected waiting time for a patient joining the waiting list at this time.
[2726/99]
Cardiac surgery in the public health sector is currently carried out at four centres. Adult cardiac surgery is performed at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, St. James's Hospital and Cork University Hospital. Paediatric cardiac surgery is performed at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin. Public patient waiting list statistics are collected by hospitals and furnished to my Department on a quarterly basis. At the end of September 1998, the most recent period for which information is available, there were 1,237 patients awaiting cardiac surgery.
The other waiting list information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected by the relevant agencies and furnished to my Department. However, I have had inquiries made of these agencies and I understand that there were 1,993 cardiac surgery procedures carried out between 1 January 1997 and 30 September 1998. I further understand that at three of the cardiac centres there are 474 patients in total on the waiting list for more than two years and 361 patients in total on the waiting list for more than three years. The authorities at St. James's Hospital have advised me that they have 241 patients on the waiting list for more than one year. However, they state that they are currently unable to provide a breakdown of patients who are waiting more than two years and more than three years.
There are currently five cardiac surgeons in Dublin and two in Cork holding full public service contracts. The common contract commitment relates to a 33 hour week. However, interviews have recently taken place for the appointment of an additional cardiac surgeon at St. James's Hospital and I understand that an appointment will take place shortly.
I understand that the average waiting time patients may expect to wait from time of joining the waiting list to having their surgery carried out is between 2 and 2.5 years. However, this depends on the clinical assessment of the consultant.
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 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. Despite the difficulties at the Mater Hospital in recent months, referred to above, 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.
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 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.
