Hospitals Funding

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 March 2017

Wednesday, 8 March 2017

Questions (96)

Bobby Aylward

Question:

96. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Minister for Health if additional resources will be allocated to the existing cardiac catheterisation laboratory at University Hospital Waterford in order to increase the laboratory's current capacity to accommodate the estimated 450 additional procedures that will be referred there through additional diagnostic angiograms set to be provided by the mobile catheterisation laboratory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12067/17]

Written answers

Minister for Health

I am pleased to confirm that, as recommended by Dr Niall Herity in his review of cath lab services at UHW, 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. The UHW cath lab will now be funded to provide 12 sessions i.e. 48 hours activity per week.

As the Deputy may be aware, I have written to the HSE Director General requesting that consideration be given to a targeted Cardiology Waiting List initiative. Such an initiative would, I envisage, incorporate a range of measures including the sharing of facilities and resources within and between Hospital Groups, the use of any appropriate facilities in the private hospital sector, as well as the deployment of a mobile cath lab. I look forward to receiving the HSE's proposals in this regard.