Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 January 2019
373. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health if the mobile unit located at University Hospital Waterford, UHW, which provides diagnostic cardiac care is capable of delivering PPCI intervention care in its current format; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4086/19]
View answer375. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Health when he expects the appointment of an additional cardiology consultant at University Hospital Waterford, UHW, to provide for an expansion of cover from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4088/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 373 and 375 together.
In 2016, the Herity Report concluded that the needs of the effective catchment population of University Hospital Waterford, UHW, could be accommodated from a single cath lab and recommended that the operating hours of the existing cath lab should be extended. Approval and funding has been provided for the additional staff required to facilitate this service expansion and five staff - Grade IV Admin, Porter, Senior Cardiac Physiologist, Senior Radiographer and Staff Nurse - have now been recruited on an 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. working day basis. Furthermore, the recruitment of a cardiologist to facilitate an increase in the operating hours of the existing cath lab is also being progressed by the HSE.
A mobile cath lab has also been deployed at UHW since October 2017 to conduct diagnostic cardiac procedures. In Autumn 2018, it was replaced with a relocatable cath lab, operating on the same basis as the mobile cath lab, that is, it carries out diagnostic cardiology procedures only. The contractual arrangements currently in place at UHW are for the provision of a unit capable of carrying out diagnostic cardiac procedures only.
I remain committed to the provision of a second cath lab in University Hospital Waterford. It is intended that the cost of progressing the project to design, planning and construction stages will be considered in the context of the HSE’s Capital Plan for 2019, which is currently being finalised.
The Herity Report also recommended that the current 9-to-5 provision of emergency PPCI services should cease to allow the hospital focus on the much larger volume of planned work. I asked my Department to address the implications of this recommendation by undertaking a National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services. The aim of this review is to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality and sustainability of the services that patients receive by establishing the need for an optimal configuration of a national adult cardiac service. As set out in the National Development Plan 2018-2027, investment in cardiac cath labs and other cardiac services infrastructure nationally will be informed by the outcome of the National Review, which is expected to be complete by June 2019.
