Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 17 Dec 2002

Vol. 559 No. 5

Written Answers. - Cardiovascular Services.

Jimmy Deenihan

Question:

272 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will approve and provide finance for a submission, made by the Southern Health Board to his Department, regarding cardiovascular services at Tralee General Hospital, including the appointment of a consultant cardiologist at the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26362/02]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The Advisory Forum on Cardiovascular Health recommended that a working group be set up and chaired by Comhairle na nOispidéal with representatives from my Department and the advisory forum to plan the future consultant cardiologist requirements needed to implement the recommendations of the cardiovascular health strategy.

This group produced an interim report in May 2001 recommending an immediate requirement of 25 additional consultant cardiologist posts. Three consultant cardiologist posts were recommended for the SHB area, one in Cork University Hospital, one in Tralee General Hospital and one in the Mercy Hospital. The full report from the group will be produced in the near future.

Nationally, progress has begun to put nine of these 25 posts in place with funding from the Cardiovascular Health Strategy in 2002. Within the resources available in 2003 and taking account of competing priorities, my Department will continue to attach priority to advancing the recruitment of the remainder of these posts including those recommended for the SHB.

With regard to the Tralee General Hospital financial allocation 2000-02, the SHB is committed to developing cardiology services at Tralee General Hospital as identified and outlined in the board's five year action plan Building Healthier Hearts.

To date €503,778 has been invested over the first three years of the strategy to improve cardiology services in Tralee General hospital. The board has indicated that it intends to use funding available in 2003 for the implementation of the cardiovascular health strategy in the region to further develop cardiology services, with a priority given to funding the cardiology posts in Cork University Hospital and Mercy Hospital. This would regularise the temporary appointments in these hospitals.

The SHB's action plan for cardiovascular health has identified the developments necessary to enable Tralee General Hospital provide for cardiac services. Funding has been provided, as part of the strategy, to further develop a cardiac rehabilitation service at the hospital and to recruit specialised staff for the coronary care unit.