Seán Barrett
Question:201 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the inadequacy of facilities for children's heart surgery at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin 12. [24497/00]
Written Answers. - Hospital Services.
Gay Mitchell
Question:586 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the inadequacy of facilities for heart surgery at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin 12. [24631/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 586 together.
Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, is the national paediatric cardiac centre and there has been concern over waiting times for children in this speciality. Some of the measures cited by the hospital as contributing to the increasing pressure on this service were the lack of theatre space and ICU beds, shortage of ICU trained nurses and advances in surgical and interventional techniques available.
In December 1997 the hospital was allocated a sum of £500,00 from the cardiac waiting list initiative to implement measures aimed at reducing pressures in the most effective and appropriate manner. The hospital proposed to use the funding for a number of measures. These included the provision of an additional four ICU beds, the implementation of a training programme for ICU nurses and the purchase of cardiac procedures from appropriate UK paediatric hospitals.
In 1998, 1999 and 2000 under the same initiative the hospital was allocated sums of £878,550, £679,000 and £700,000 respectively.
I assure the Deputy that I am committed to ensuring that Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children is in a position to respond to the need for its cardiology/cardiac surgery services. In this regard the Deputy may wish to note that my Department has sanctioned a major theatre development at the hospital. This theatre development, when completed, will provide five new operating theatres complete with ancillary accommodation, a day surgery area and a central sterile supplies department. The existing theatre facilities will also be upgraded to provide a further two theatre suites. When these theatres are fully commissioned it is expected that the hospital will be in a position to perform an additional 100 paediatric cardiac procedures per annum, which is an increase of 40% on its existing capacity. It is anticipated that tenders for the work will issue in January 2001 with commencement of work on site in spring of 2001. This development is expected to cost in the region of £20 million.
Also, an additional cardiothoracic surgeon commenced duty at the hospital in August of this year and the hospital has recently submitted an application for a fourth consultant cardiologist. Two consultant anaesthetist posts have also been recently advertised by the hospital.
I am confident that the implementation of the above measures will enable Our Lady's Hospital to provide enhanced cardiac surgery services for all children within the country.
Question No. 202 taken with Question No. 182.
Question No. 203 taken with Question No. 183.