Niamh Smyth
Question:70. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health his plans to address the delays and deferrals of surgery at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin (details supplied) caused by Covid-19. [7794/22]
View answerTuesday, 15 February 2022
Questions (70)
Oral answers (10 contributions)
Deputy Smyth is here on her own behalf to put this question. I thought she was going to have the privilege of representing Limerick as well.
We have two colleagues able and capable of doing that. It has been interesting to hear the discussion on the various issues raised this evening. I want to talk about the situation of Fidelle, a woman from my own little town of Bailieborough, who has many challenges in life and was recently diagnosed with a strangulated hernia. She was scheduled for an operation in Beaumont Hospital. Over the past two years, Covid testing has become a natural part of hospital life and preparation for operations and so on, which we all understand. Sadly, PCR test results from the local testing centre were not acceptable. To make a long story short, Fidelle's operation has been cancelled on three occasions. Has the Minister had a chance to look into this case?
I thank Deputy Niamh Smyth for raising the issue. While I cannot discuss an individual case here, the situation obviously does not sound at all satisfactory for the Deputy’s constituent. Something does need to be done about that. The broad question, if I am correct, is around the general delays in Beaumont Hospital.
I apologise that it took me a while to get to the question.
That is okay. I want to acknowledge that this is a huge inconvenience and cause of distress for patients and for their families, in spite of an incredible team in Beaumont Hospital which is really doing everything that it can. They have made every effort to avoid cancellation and postponement, but Beaumont Hospital has been impacted by the operational challenges that Covid brings. Beaumont Hospital has taken actions, including a period of prioritising unscheduled Covid-19 care and urgent time-sensitive work. My Department is working with the HSE and the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, to find ways to improve access to care in Beaumont Hospital. It includes the use of private hospitals, weekend work and evening work in Beaumont Hospital, various see-and-treat services, virtual clinics and various other similar initiatives. At Beaumont Hospital, general surgery, which is probably the most relevant point here, makes up a significant portion of the inpatient and day-case waiting lists. The NTPF has advised that it has approved four inpatient and day-case initiatives for funding so far this year for Beaumont Hospital, including for general surgery. This should help.
The NTPF has also approved 16 outpatient initiatives, again this year. Together, these initiatives will facilitate treatment for approximately 9,000 patients on the waiting list in Beaumont Hospital. I would certainly hope that lady, Fidelle, of whom the Deputy has spoken, either through that or through the issue around the testing, gets the care that she clearly urgently needs.
I thank the Minister for his foresight in seeing where I was trying to get with the question, which is about the issue of deferrals and delays. I can give the Minister the good news that Fidelle actually has an appointment now. I would just make the point that she had three disappointments. On three occasions, she had to isolate from her family. She had three cancellations. This is distressing for people, but she has come out the other side of it now and she is getting that appointment.
On the same issue, I just want to talk to the Minister about Daire, who is ten years of age and is from County Monaghan. He is a child who was born with no arms. He is missing the femur bones in both of his legs and he is a wheelchair user. Yesterday, I listened to his mother tell a heartbreaking story of his problems with delays and deferrals. He is waiting for a hospital appointment for orthopaedic surgery in CHI at Temple Street. It was cancelled on four occasions. She told a story of the excruciating pain, the deep distress and the continuous pain that this child is in, while he is waiting for this surgery. I know that our hospitals are under pressure but, again, it comes back to the issue of deferrals and delays. They are really not acceptable.
I heard that testimony and it was so difficult to hear. It is just heartbreaking for Daire and for his family. He and children all over the country need access to the specialised orthopaedic surgeons and treatment in CHI at Temple Street, in CHI at Crumlin, in the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, aided by some of the other hospitals. We are putting in place an ambitious plan. We are funding operating theatres, staff, diagnostics and many things. This will ensure, for Daire and other children who are waiting and whose planned operations have been cancelled again and again - which is so difficult for the children and for the parents - first, that the time they wait goes down and that the number of potential cancellations is minimised.
I have listened to the Minister tonight. I know that he is strong on the whole issue of orthopaedic surgery for children. I am heartened to hear what he has said tonight. I hope that Daire's mum, Shelley, will get some relief from that. As I said, they have had four disappointments. For a child who has that number of complications, as well as the complexity of issues, time is important. They had to travel to Dublin for pain relief to keep him going for another two weeks. All that the Minister is doing on deferrals and delays to ensure that these children get their operations, that they are not disappointed and that their families are not disappointed, is very much welcome. I thank him for all of his work on this issue.
We owe it to these children and to their parents. I met with the three hospitals last Monday. I went out to the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh on Friday and I had further meetings today. This is the top priority. We will fund and prioritise this. We will get these children the care they need. We will give the supports to our incredible clinical teams, so that they can do the job that they know how to do and that they want to do.
That concludes questions to the Minister for Health. We move now to the next item on the agenda, which is Topical Issues. I have to express some surprise, given the interest in health matters, that more Deputies are not here to put the questions that they had tabled to the Minister and Minister of State. I thank the Minister and Minister of State for being here to answer them anyway. We will suspend the House for three minutes.
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Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 8.46 p.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 8.48 p.m.
Sitting suspended at 8.46 p.m. and resumed at 8.48 p.m.