Cross-Border Health Initiatives

Tuesday, 23 October 2018

Questions (357)

Micheál Martin

Question:

357. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health the status of the progress being made on the North-South agreement on children's cardiac surgery being carried out in Dublin in order to prevent children from Northern Ireland travelling to Birmingham and-or Manchester; if persons have been treated to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43198/18]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

In June 2016, I gave my approval for the establishment and funding of an All-Island Congenital Heart Disease Network, centred on Our Lady’s Childrens’ Hospital Crumlin (OLCHC) and serving as an all-island centralised hub for paediatric cardiothoracic surgery and interventional cardiology. As part of the Network, OLCHC provides cardiothoracic surgery and paediatric cardiac catheterisation for patients from Northern Ireland. The phased implementation of the Network commenced in late 2015, with OLCHC providing surgery and cardiac catheterisation for emergency cases from Northern Ireland. Treatment of urgent cases commenced in March 2017.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the transfer of elective cases from Northern Ireland, the next step in the phased implementation of the Network, began in April this year. Plans for an extension to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) in OLCHC to accommodate all elective patients from Northern Ireland are also at an advanced stage. This is an example of the benefits for patients of North South cooperation in healthcare, with the two Departments of Health and services North and South working together in the interests of patients.