Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 May 2013
681. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Health if he will update Dáil Éireann on the proposed single all-island paediatric cardiac surgical service that may be provided from Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Dublin with support from the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children in Belfast; if he will describe funding arrangements that may underpin a new service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25783/13]
View answerSince September 2012 there has been intensive consultation between the Department of Health, Health Service Executive, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital and the Northern Irish Authorities on the provision of an all-island cardiac surgery service for children. The number of Northern Irish cases is estimated to be 120 surgical cases per year. Even if the majority of Northern Irish cardiac surgery patients are transferred within the United Kingdom it is accepted that there may be an ongoing requirement for up to 30 emergency/urgent cardiac surgery cases a year to be referred to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital. This is because for some patients, the need for surgical intervention is so critically urgent, that air transport to another UK centre would be inappropriate.
In Northern Ireland there is a desire that at least some services continue to be delivered in Belfast for paediatric cardiac patients, and the options for this are being explored by both sides. Discussions are planned this week on the clinical aspects of the proposed services, after which it is expected that the proposals will be put to the Ministers North and South for agreement, with a view to putting the agreed services in place as soon as possible. Resources can currently be put in place in Crumlin Hospital for the services to begin ramping up at the end of 2013, with the full service in place in 2014. The funding arrangements for the proposed services have not been finalised, and as such I cannot go into detail on the matter at this time.
