Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 January 2022
550. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health his plans to deliver a 24-7 primary percutaneous coronary intervention service in Waterford; the way he plans to achieve same; the additional staff required to increase hours to 24/7 and other milestones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3022/22]
View answerIn 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.
The HSE has advised that discussions are still on-going to commence extended working days in the Cath Lab in University Hospital Waterford in 2022. However, due to the third wave of Covid-19 in early 2021 and the subsequent Cyber-attack and recovery process these discussions were delayed and are still on-going.
The HSE has further advised that, in order to support extended hours at the existing Cath Lab, additional Consultant Interventional Cardiologists are required. One additional post was filled on a temporary contract on 24th August 2020 and was subsequently filled on a permanent basis on 1st March 2021. However, a Consultant Cardiologist post has since become vacant (due to a resignation). This post is currently progressing through the recruitment process.
The Herity Report also recommended that the current 9 to 5 provision of emergency pPCI services at UHW should cease to allow the hospital to focus on the much larger volume of planned work. The then Minister for Health asked the Department to address the implications of this recommendation by arranging for a National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services.
The National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services commenced in January 2018. This 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.
Substantial progress has been made on the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services. However, the COVID-19 Pandemic impacted on the progress of the review during 2020 and into 2021 as the Chair has played a critical role in the national COVID-19 response as a member of the NPHET and Chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group.
The Steering Group reconvened in the latter half of 2021, and the Cardiac Services Review is now making strong progress again with a view to finalisation of the Review. The Group is scheduled to meet in January and also February 2022.
