Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 January 2017
187. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the procurement process that will be put in place for the mobile catheterisation laboratory for University Hospital Waterford, as announced by the Minister of State with responsibility for training, skills and innovation on 13 January 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2222/17]
View answer188. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the funds that have been allocated to the procurement of a mobile catheterisation laboratory for University Hospital Waterford, as announced by the Minister of State with responsibility for training, skills and innovation on 13 January 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2223/17]
View answer189. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of mobile catheterisation laboratories in use by the HSE; his plans to allocate one of the already procured mobile catheterisation laboratories for use at University Hospital Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2224/17]
View answer190. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if, with regard to the 130 longest waiting catheterisation laboratory patients at University Hospital Waterford who have been sent for tests to the private Bon Secours Hospital in Cork and Cork University Hospital, as reported in a newspaper (details supplied) on 11 January 2017, he will confirm whether these patients will be treated at the private Bon Secours Hospital in Cork or if their treatment will be put on hold pending the procurement of a mobile catheterisation laboratory for University Hospital Waterford. [2225/17]
View answer191. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if, with regard to the 337 patients on the waiting list for the catheterisation laboratory at University Hospital Waterford who are scheduled for angiography procedures in Cork between now and June 2017, as reported in a newspaper (details supplied) on 11 January 2017, he will confirm whether these patients will be sent to Cork between now and June 2017 or if their procedures will be put on hold pending the procurement of a mobile catheterisation laboratory for University Hospital Waterford. [2226/17]
View answer193. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health if, with regard to the mobile catheterisation laboratory for University Hospital Waterford, as announced by the Minister of State with responsibility for training, skills and innovation on 13 January 2017, it will be an articulated truck, as suggested by a person (details supplied) on 13 January 2017, it will be a prefab unit or it will be housed in a permanent structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2229/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 187 to 191, inclusive, and 193 together.
In recent weeks, the South/South West Hospital Group (SSWHG) has made very significant progress to address waiting list for cardiology procedures at University Hospital Waterford (UHW). Waiting list data, compiled and published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) last week, provide evidence that the cardiology inpatient/daycase procedure waiting list at the hospital has reduced by almost 20% since the end of November, and the number of persons waiting longer than a year has reduced by some 67%. By year end, a total of 489 patients remained on the list, with no patient waiting longer than 18 months.
The focus on the UHW cardiology waiting list will continue in 2017. The SSWHG has a robust plan in place to address the remaining backlog which involves access to cath lab capacity across the region. In addition, as recommended in the Herity Report, an additional €.5m funding has been provided to UHW, in 2017, which will enable the hospital to provide 2 additional cath lab sessions (8 hours) per week. I am advised that patients waiting over 12 months will have their procedures completed in the first 8 weeks of 2017; patients waiting 3 – 12 months will have their procedures completed by June 2017. It is not expected that those procedures will be delayed by other measures currently under consideration.
Budget 2017 makes specific provision for those patients waiting longest for treatment within the health service. In this context, I am considering a national cardiology waiting list initiative which will address waiting times for cardiology treatments in a number of hospitals, including UHW. A range of measures are envisaged including sharing of facilities and resources amongst public hospitals, use of private facilities and the deployment of a mobile cath lab. Further details of the proposed initiative will be made available in the coming weeks.
I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly regarding the number of mobile cath labs currently in use.
