Bernard Allen
Ceist:98 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children when the secondary prevention programme in the primary care cardiovascular strategy will be put in place. [6167/02]
Written Answers. - Cardiac Services.
Discussions on the implementation of the pilot phase of the programme for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in general practice with all stakeholders are now at an advanced stage. It is hoped that agreement will be reached shortly.
Bernard Allen
Ceist:99 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children his views on the Irish Heart Foundation report into the primary care cardiovascular strategy which criticised the failure of the original cardiovascular strategy to set out clear priorities and to address the need for a secondary prevention programme. [6168/02]
I presume Deputy Allen is referring to a report produced in January 2002 from the conference on the cardiovascular health strategy – primary care held by the Irish Heart Foundation on 19 October 2001. The cardiovascular health strategy group, under the chairmanship of Michael Jacob, was established in March 1998 by, my colleague, the then Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Cowen, with the remit to develop a strategic approach to reduce avoidable death and illness caused by cardiovascular disease. The group engaged in a wide-ranging consultation process and made 211 recommendations on the development and implementation of an integrated strategy to improve cardiovascular health. The cardiovascular health strategy group was not charged with prioritising its recommendations.
However, upon the publication of Building Healthier Hearts, the group's report, in July 1999 by An Taoiseach, a range of implementing structures, including the advisory forum on cardiovascular health were established to oversee the implementation of the cardiovascular health strategy. The advisory forum was given responsibility, inter alia, to prioritise the recommendations contained within the strategy. In that regard, in November 2001 the advisory forum published Implementation of the Cardiovascular Health Strategy Work Programme 2001-04. This document prioritises and sets out a timeframe for the implementation of recommendations of the strategy on an annual basis under each of the main categories – health promotion, primary care, pre-hospital care, hospital services and information systems audit and research. Discussions on the implementation of the pilot phase of the programme for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in general practice with all stakeholders are now at an advanced stage. It is hoped that agreement will be reached shortly.
Question No. 100 answered with Question No. 93.