Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Apr 2000

Vol. 517 No. 3

Written Answers. - Cardiac Services.

Liam Lawlor

Question:

167 Mr. Lawlor asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will respond to the concerns of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 regarding the waiting time for his father's heart by-pass operation; the efforts being made to deal with heart operation waiting lists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9531/00]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Responsibility for the provision of services in St. James's Hospital now rests with the Eastern Regional Health Authority. I have, therefore, asked the regional chief executive to investigate the issue raised by the Deputy and reply directly to him.

As the Deputy may be aware, adult cardiac by- pass surgery in the public health sector is currently carried out at three centres, the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin, Cork University Hospital and since September 1998, St. James's Hospital, Dublin.

The Deputy will be aware that in 1998 my Department 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, my Department made provision for the allocation of £4 million under the cardiac surgery waiting list initiative and a further £4 million will be made available in 2000. I am confident that this funding will build on previous years success in reducing the total number of adults and children on the waiting list. The cardiac surgery waiting list initiative has had and will continue to have a positive impact on the public cardiac waiting list. The total number of public patients awaiting cardiac surgery has reduced from 1,619 in September 1997 to 1,202 in December 1999, this represents a reduction of 25%.

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 the proposed new cardiac surgery developments at 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 more than 50%. 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%.