Cork University Hospital provides a tertiary referral service for cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery to the southern region. CUH also provides extensive interventional cardiology services and a 24/7 Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory providing 24/7 PPCI. In late 2010, following investment of €85m, the Cardiac Renal Centre was opened at CUH. The development which spans some 13,000m2 over 6 floors, represented a very significant service development in the region.
At this stage I am not in a position to commit to funding a specialised Heart Failure Unit at the hospital. The priority to be afforded to the development of such a dedicated service must, in the first instance, be considered by the HSE, in the context of the development of the Strategic Plan for the South/South West Hospital Group.