'We were promised this would be sorted' - Waterford protest over ongoing wait for 24/7 cardiac care

The Southeast Cardiac Care Campaign took to the streets to highlight the lack of 24/7 cardiac care in Waterford.

On Thursday morning, January 15, Konor Halpin, Mick Daniels and Anthony Kelly set up shop on John Roberts Square to talk to people about their own experiences with cardiac care in Waterford.

Konor told the Waterford News & Star: "We're asking people: 'Do you know anybody who's had a bad experience, if they weren't able to be seen, etc. 

"It's 8am to 8pm now but obviously on the weekends people are going to bed worried. God forbid something happens in the middle of the night, what are they going to do?"

The men are long-standing activists for 24/7 cardiac care. They fear that last year's announcement of 12-hour daily care has diverted people from the real issue; that Waterford still has no 24/7 cardiac care. The men referred to the announcement as 'a diversionary tactic' to the people of Waterford.

Konor said: "We were promised this would be sorted within 18 months."

Broken promises 

In 2016, TD Mary Butler, alongside party leader Micheál Martin, promised 24/7 cardiac care for Waterford in the run-up to the general election. Photographer Joe Evans took a photo of Deputy Butler and Taoiseach Martin on the UHW grounds nearly a decade ago.

Mick said of the photo: "They're both standing outside the hospital saying if they get elected that they will make it happen - which they didn't.

"We're three years on the streets filming interviews. We hear horror stories." 

Mick spoke about a woman who lost her husband only weeks ago due to the lack of cardiac care. Mick said that such stories are necessary to push for actual change. 

"The only weapon we have against them is to show the death and destruction, and it is death and destruction that this horrible policy is causing."

Left-out 

The group are tired of the excuses used to explain why Waterford is left out when it comes to accessing full cardiac care.

"The Southeast is the only part of Ireland that does not have 24/7 cardiac care. The excuse about problems recruiting is an absolute joke. The 30-plus other cardiac labs in Ireland have no problem recruiting. Why would there be a problem recruiting?"

Mick added: "We have heard privately from senior medical people that there is a hesitancy in the Department of Health. Explain that to me, why is there a hesitancy to save people's lives?"

The group are beyond frustration with the silence not only from the Government but also the media: "The media, in my opinion, is bought and paid for. All they do is peddle the mainstream BS. Why is this not on WLR seven days a week, people dying, people suffering the horrible experience of travelling to Cork in an ambulance having a heart attack?"

The group have re-created some of the stories they have heard from people affected by the issue to help raise awareness but have had no communications from the higher powers in Government. 

Mick said: "They avoid us like the plague. They don't want to know us, they refer us to their PR department. They won't take our calls."

Minister Butler was reached for comment and responded as follows:

“I have engaged constructively and continuously with UHW management, the Department of Health, and Minister Carroll MacNeill regarding the additional staff required to facilitate a 24/7 cardiac service. 

"It remains the ambition of all stakeholders to ensure the service is operational at the earliest possible opportunity. Some posts have been filled with more to follow because of backfilling.

“As a Minister at the Department of Health, my approach has been consistent. I have sought to deliver the funding necessary to facilitate additional recruitment, alongside the infrastructural and service developments at UHW, necessary to roll out a 24/7 service. 

"As a result, we have seen significant investment in the hospital’s cardiology workforce, specifically two pivotal uplifts (24.5 WTE and 15.5 WTE). Such enhanced staffing has enabled the significant expansion of cath lab and cardiology capacity at UHW in recent years.

“The continued strengthening of staffing and services at UHW remains a key priority of mine. I look forward to ongoing collaboration to ensure the hospital remains in a strong position to recruit the essential personnel, such as the additional consultant cardiologist, and commence this service.”