The Health Service Executive, which has the responsibility to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services, recently met the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland and has agreed to its request to establish a working group to consider the recommendations in the report.
The report provides an assessment of need for current and future cystic fibrosis patients and makes a number of recommendations with regard to numbers and types of staff appropriate for a modern multidisciplinary cystic fibrosis service. The report concludes that in the future it will be essential to base cystic fibrosis care in fewer units of a more significant size in order to sustain viable staffing levels and to ensure that staff have a sufficient workload to enable them to maintain their skills level.
I understand the Health Service Executive and St. Vincent's Hospital, which is designated as the national adult cystic fibrosis centre, are pursuing proposals to improve the physical infrastructure to support the highly professional treatment and care services provided there at present.