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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 1 Dec 1987

Vol. 376 No. 1

Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.

11.

asked the Minister for Health if there is a nationally recognised bone marrow transplant unit for children in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Thirty-one bone marrow transplant operations on children have taken place in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, since 1984. Fifty transplants have taken place mostly on adults in St. James's Hospital in the same period.

In order to make the best possible use of our limited resources, it has already been decided that a National Bone Marrow Transplant Unit should be developed through close co-operation and a high degree of integration between those involved in St. James's and Our Lady's Hospitals.

I have recently made arrangements to meet with the managers and clinicians involved to discuss at first hand the steps necessary to develop a unified, fully developed, bone marrow transplantation service.

Arising out of the Minister's reply, am I to understand there is one designated centre for bone marrow transplants for children and that that is intended in the future to be St. James's Hospital?

As of now, bone marrow transplants are being carried out in two hospitals, St. James's and Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children. It is my desire that there should be a unified approach to bone marrow transplantation.With that in mind I have invited the managers and the clinicians to meet me on 9 December to discuss having such a unified approach and having one national bone marrow transplant centre.

Can I ask the Minister if he has spoken to those involved in the bone marrow transplant unit in Crumlin to date? The people who have informed me are aware that the treatment of children should not be handed over to a general hospital where there would be a mixture of children and adults. Secondly, is the Minister aware that the expertise, the machinery, equipment and so on are in Crumlin and have been used at a minimal cost compared with UK unit costs and have survived to date? What does he intend doing with this expertise and with these pieces of equipment in Crumlin if they are not to be used in the future?

I did not at any stage suggest that the services in Crumlin would not be used. I did not suggest there would be one specific centre and that it was the only centre that would be used at St. James's. I said I was meeting the managers and the clinicians to ensure a unified approach to this problem to ensure that the very highest level of service would be available. The centre may well be placed in both hospitals.

Just one final supplementary because I am not absolutely clear on what the Minister is saying. Is he saying he wishes as his aim to bring all services with regard to bone marrow transplants into St. James's Hospital?

What I said was that I wanted a unified approach.

What does that mean?

I do not want two separate services — one in one hospital and one in another hospital without any reference to each other.

That means one hospital.

We have got a national cardiac surgery service based in both the Mater Hospital and Crumlin Hospital. I see no reason why there should not be a national bone marrow transplant service based in St. James's and Crumlin. What I do not want is two independent services without any reference to each other.

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