WATCH: Minister for Health says she is committed to 24/7 cardiac care in Waterford

The Minister of Health has said she is committed to seeing 24/7 cardiac care in Waterford but could not commit to a date.

During the official opening of the St Otteran's Complex Integrated Healthcare Hub, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill took questions from the media.

Chief among them was when cardiac care at University Hospital Waterford would run on a 24/7 basis.

The service is currently available from 8am to 8pm seven days a week, but a 24/7 service is available in Cork and Dublin.

When asked by the Waterford News & Star what she would say to people concerned about access to cardiac care and their families, the minister said she has put the funding in place, and consultant recruitment is underway.

“The Cath Lab is extraordinary, and I met some of the patients there this morning who have had small procedures and different types of procedures, and they tell me they have had a very good service, and I have been clear, this needs to be 24/7.

“That is why in the first number of weeks, I made the decision, and cabinet made the decision to support 24/7, not just in theory but in reality with a big euro figure beside that to enable the recruitment process,” said Minister Carroll MacNeill.

The support referenced by the minister was the approval of €629,000 in funding for the recruitment of consultants.

The minister went on to say that in the recruitment of specialised staff, the process can be a long one.

People must apply for the positions, and if they are from a different hospital, they may have notice periods to work out.

“These are the practicalities of life in recruiting for senior positions, any consultant position in a specialism, but I cannot go any further than having made the decision and put the money behind it, and I will make sure that happens, and the money is there,” said Minister Carroll MacNeill.

In response to a question from WLR, the minister said she expected the recruitment process to be completed by the end of the year.

But the minister could not commit to a definitive date.

Watch the video clip below of the Minister speaking on the issue while in Waterford

VISIT 

The minister was visiting a number of healthcare sites in Waterford on Friday.

She accompanied by Ministers of State and Waterford TDs Mary Butler and John Cummins, starting the day with the sod-turning ceremony at the site of the new Waterford Surgical Hub in Maypark.

The Minister said she hopes to see the new hub complete by quarter two of next year and operational by quarter three.

"So I think that is a very important addition to Waterford. 

"It's a €90 million investment in the area by the Irish state in the people of Waterford, the people of the broader area to make sure we are separating out elective activity from the acute hospital. 

"That is a really, really important thing to do. It helps manage the hospital, it helps pandemic-proof the future but what it really means is we can cut waiting lists and waiting times for the people of the area," said Minister MacNeill. 

Following that, the Minister toured the hospital.

"And can I just say I was so impressed. Everyone is focused in a patient-focused way and the quality of the service in the hospital, not just clinically but in terms of patient safety and patient experience.

"Every single person there is responsible for how the hospital is run from the IT to the services, to the clinical team and you can tell, (in) UHW the trolley average every week is 0.

"Waterford is just doing so, so well, so it is such a privilege for me to come and get to meet the people who do that so effectively and to see some of the services that have been added to and improved in the hospital recently," said Minister Carroll MacNeill.

From there, she officially opened the St Otteran's Complex Integrated Healthcare Hub.

Also speaking to the media, Minister of State John Cummins said it was an important step in taking elective services out of the acute hospital and into the community. 

"It’s a fantastic building that was brought back into use. It was effectively derelict and we are going to continue that work in the coming period in terms of continuing to refurbish what is an amazing campus here at St Otteran's," said Minister Cummins. 

The new hub sees Audiology, Orthodontics, and Ophthalmology taken from UHW and delivered in a community setting.

The Minister for Health also visited the Cath Lab at UHW, the Waterford Residential Care Facility and the Integrated Care Team for Older People.