Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) is a specialist cardiac intervention and is covered by the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services which is currently ongoing. The Review commenced in January 2018 with Professor Phillip Nolan as Chair of the Steering Group. The Review aims 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. This aligns with the Sláintecare reform programme.
While substantial progress has been made on the Review, the COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted on the progress, as the Chair has played a key role in the national COVID-19 response, both as a member of the NPHET and Chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group. However, it is intended that the Review will continue and work is now underway to progress this to completion over the coming months. The HIQA Health Technology Assessment report is an important resource in this regard.
As this Parliamentary Question also refers to the HSE position this part of the question is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.
