Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
98. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Health the basis on which a service (details supplied) was discontinued; the person that authorised the removal and cessation of this contract with a company; the plans being put in place to replace this lost service in order to begin to reduce the climbing angiogram waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30664/20]
View answerThe Herity Report recommended that the operating hours of the existing cath lab at University Hospital Waterford be extended to meet the needs of its effective catchment population. Pending the recruitment required to extend the opening hours, a mobile cath lab providing diagnostic services, was deployed at the hospital in October 2017.
The HSE has advised that, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the staff of the UK based company providing the mobile service could no longer travel to University Hospital Waterford and as a result, the contract for this service was terminated.
The HSE has confirmed that it is expected that a diagnostic angiogram service will commence in UPMC Whitfield this month and that University Hospital Waterford is also working with its Consultant Cardiologists to progress Saturday sessions in UPMC Whitfield. The HSE has further advised that University Hospital Waterford is finalising arrangements to outsource 200 patients for diagnostic angiograms to other facilities.
In addition, the HSE has advised that, as per the Herity Report, the existing cath lab opening hours at University Hospital Waterford will be extended to provide an 8am to 8pm service, three days per week, before the end of this year and that this will incrementally increase to seven days per week in Q1 2021.
It is expected that these measures will have the cumulative effect of reducing the waiting list for diagnostic cardiac services at University Hospital Waterford.
The Deputy might also wish to note that the National Treatment Purchase Fund is reviewing strategies to maximise activity, including increased use of private hospitals, funding weekend and evening work in public hospitals and funding hybrid services where public and private hospitals contribute to the treatment of patients.
