24/7 cardiac care for Waterford: The defining issue of our time
Thousands turned out to march in Waterford in 2019 f0r 24/7 Cardiac Care. Photo: Joe Evans
After 12 years, the fight to deliver 24/7 cardiac care for the South East has been won, a major victory for the people who campaigned tirelessly for the service, a campaign that all started with the creation of a single banner by Willie Doyle and Mary Coughlan.
In April 2014, Willie's daughter Jenny suffered a heart attack and attended University Hospital Waterford for treatment.
She arrived at close to 5pm, closing time for the cath lab.
Jennifer was told that she would still be treated because the seriousness of her condition meant it was unlikely she would survive a trip to Cork.
Jennifer and her father Willie were shocked that she may not have received any treatment that day if she had arrived a few minutes later.
Little did they know that after encountering this serious incident in 2014, their lives for the next 12 years would be dominated by a marathon campaign to deliver a service for the South East that would never close.
Just days later, Willie Doyle, alongside stalwart campaigner Mary Coughlan, had a small, roll-up banner created to try highlight that the cath lab wasn’t operating functionally.
“We got the banner, drove to Dublin and stood in front of the Dáil. That was the beginning of everything,” Mary said.
Willie added: “We started with nothing. It was a very small, nothing banner and it just went from there. It took off.”
Mary and Willie stood alone that day outside the Dáil.
It wouldn’t be long, however, before thousands of people from across the South East would gather to fight alongside them.
That same year, Willie and Mary commenced a petition in City Square.
Thousands of signatures were garnered by the pair, and the grassroots campaign began to pick up pace.
“We set up a table outside Dunnes and we got thousands of signatures. People tried to give us money to help. We explained to them that money won’t help. We need support,” Mary said.
A Facebook page was created. Other similar campaign groups were formed. And a plan for protest in the streets began to form.
“We weren’t lifelong campaigners, we had never done something like this before, and it was all completely new to us, but from day one, we got absolutely unbelievable support. It was emotional for us all,” Willie said.
“I’m sure we were a thorn in the side of politicians for years, but it was too important to stop and we never had any intention to stop. This was too important,” Willie said.
The campaign started outside the Council offices in Waterford and would continue on to the heart of Irish politics in Dáil Eireann.
Mary and Willie told the Waterford News & Star about one particular breakthrough moment. It occurred as the pair were standing outside the courthouse as politicians arrived to register for election.
“We were outside the courthouse at the time with a bigger banner. We stood on each side of the courthouse when they were all going in to register. We saw two guards heading towards us and we thought this is it; they’ll remove us.
“But they didn’t. They actually came towards us and they said well done, keep it up. It was just unbelievable.”
Mary added: “Pressure was starting to build on politicians, so they started to come on board.”
In February 2016, Mary Butler was pictured with Fianna Fáil party leader Micheál Martin outside UHW with a large poster of their own, declaring that Fianna Fáil would be the party to deliver 24/7 cardiac care for Waterford.
Her decision to pose for the cameras that day has perhaps been the defining one of Mary Butler’s political career.
Since this photo was taken, Minister Butler has advanced her rank to Government Chief Whip, while Micheál Martin has become leader of the land. All the while, the expansion of cardiac services at the hospital travelled at a snail’s pace.
Year by year, the photo has been subject to increased scrutiny.
Minister Butler said this week: “I have never forgotten standing outside University Hospital Waterford with that poster saying we will deliver 24/7 cardiac care, and now that is a reality.”
“People will say, why did it take so long? It takes a long time to build service, but the most important thing now is that the service is in place.”
There have been a number of major obstacles along the way, however perhaps none were as catastrophic as the findings of Dr. Niall Herity, who was tasked with conducting an independent review by Minister for Health Simon Harris in 2016.
The review concluded that the region did not need a second cath lab used for heart examinations and that it should cease its emergency cardiac service.
In response to the flawed report, Dr. Patrick Owens and a group of medical consultants based in the South-East travelled to Dublin to reject its findings.
A second cath lab was opened in 2023.
Throughout the campaign, dozens of protests took place across the region, each growing larger than the last.
In torrential rain on September 24, 2016, over 3,500 people marched the streets of Waterford.
An undertaker and four pallbearers led the processions, a stark image illustrating the deathly serious situation at hand.
In July 2017, several hundred people protested outside Leinster House.
In January 2019, a major protest took place in the city, this time attended by between eight and ten thousand people.
Groups from the entire the South East gathered in what was a monumental day for the campaign.
The gathering was the biggest yet and jointly organised by multiple campaign groups.
Addressing the crowd that day were campaigners, politicians, and those directly impacted by the lack of service available in the south east.
Matt Shanahan of the Health Equality for the South East Campaign, acted as Master of Ceremonies that day.
He said whilst speaking from the podium: "How long are we going to put up with this?"
Such was the strength of the issue that on the back of the growing campaign for 24/7 service, Matt Shanahan would be elected TD the following year.
Significant progress was made along the way.
Hours were expanded and the second cath lab built.
In April 2025, another independent report was published by government.
The National Review of Adult Specialist Cardiac Services in Ireland was chaired by Professor Philip Nolan and published by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
Following the publication, Fine Gael’s MacNeill said she would ask the HSE to expand the provision of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute heart attacks at UHW to a 24/7 service, in order to meet the needs of the regional population of the area.
On April 8, 2025, cabinet approval was granted for the expansion of services at the hospital to a 24/7 basis.
On this date, €611,000 was ringfenced to begin the recruitment of additional staff and other resources to move from the current 12/7 service to a full 24/7 service.
It would take another 15 months before the service would become fully operational.
On Monday, July 6, 24/7 cardiac care commenced at University Hospital Waterford.
This week, campaigners across the region are rejoicing.
Mick Daniels and the 24/7 Southeast Cardiac Campaign group continued their fight until the very end. They remained on the streets of Waterford conducting interviews with locals to hear their thoughts on the cardiac fiasco in Waterford.
He said this week that the “horror stories” he heard on the streets over the years will never leave him.
“For years, this caused a massive amount of stress to vulnerable people and their families, and the general population living in the South East of Ireland. Thankfully there are more people in the South East of Ireland tonight who will be able to sleep easier tonight.
“It's shocking it took so long. This was not just a bad policy, it was a policy that cost lives and caused horrendous injury for many people over many years.
"At the end of it all, this was delivered because of the publicity, the campaigns, the people on the street. We all did our little bit and so many people worked behind the scenes over the years.”
"It’s great that it has finally happened and we are all delighted. Done and dusted.”
Willie Doyle, after his 12-year campaign, said this week: “We’re absolutely delighted because we’ve been fighting this for a long, long time. The important thing now is that it’s been delivered, bearing in mind that the other centres in Ireland have had it for years, but the South East was neglected.
"If the pressure wasn’t there, we would not have 24/7. It was people power that did this.
Mary Coughlan said: “What kept us going was the heartbreaking stories we heard. The stories of people waking up at 4am and having to be transported to Cork, stories of fright and scare that we will never forget.”
Willie and Mary express their gratitude to everyone over the years who made a difference.
