Funding has been identified to recruit additional personnel to provide a 24/7 service at University Hospital Waterford | PICTURE: Google Maps
The Minister for Health has confirmed she is to ask the HSE to expand cardiac services at University Hospital Waterford to a 24/7 service.
Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said additional funding, totalling more than €600,000, is available to fund the expansion of the service, which currently operates from 8am to 8pm.
The decision, she said, has been announced in the wake of the publication of the National Review of Adult Specialist Cardiac Services in Ireland which was established in 2018.
Speaking on the News at One on RTÉ Radio 1, Minister MacNeill said that the numbers (of cardiac patients) has grown further since the review was completed at the end of 2022.
"It's very clear that although we have extended it to an 8am-8pm service, we need to extend that further," she said.
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The minister confirmed approval has been given to recruit another five for the service but added that there is a struggle regarding recruitment and that it could take up to 18 months.
Waterford TD and Minister of State John Cummins has welcomed this Tuesday's announcement.
“This is really positive news for the people in Waterford and the South East region. I am delighted that the Minister is making this decision to expand the service at UHW to 24/7 cardiac care to meet the needs in the south east. This is something which I and others have been working towards for a long number of years," he said.
The National Review of Adult Specialist Cardiac Services has recommended the establishment of four comprehensive cardiac centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway.
The review also calls for specialist cardiac services to be organised into six regional cardiac networks, aligned to the six new Regional Health Authorities.
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