THE DÁIL’S COMMITTEE on health and children will meet tomorrow to seek clarification on the cystic fibrosis unit in St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.
It will discuss current practices in relation to the unit when it meets with Nicholas Jermyn, CEO, St Vincent’s University Hospital Group; Professor Charles Gallagher, Director, National Referral Centre for Adult Cystic Fibrosis; and Dr Barry White, National Director, Clinical Strategy and Programmes, Health Service Executive.
Committee Chairman, Jerry Buttimer TD said that recent reports that five patients with cystic fibrosis were awaiting admission to the specialist unit at St Vincent’s Hospital “are serious and worrying”.
Ireland has one of the world’s highest incidences of cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder which affects the lungs and the digestive system, and it is important that patients are provided with the best care in specialist units. At our meeting tomorrow, we will be seeking clarification on the situation at St Vincent’s Hospital from senior healthcare executives dealing with cystic fibrosis.
He added that members “will be keen to establish if the facility meets the necessary requirements” for people with cystic fibrosis.
The meeting will take place tomorrow at 9.30am in Committee Room 2, Leinster House, and can be watched live at: http://bit.ly/24YmPI
At the end of November, it emerged that there were five CF patients waiting for an in-patient room at St Vincent’s, which the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland said was “completely unacceptable and is jeopardising the health” of the patients.
The newly reconstructed wing of the hospital was opened in August, following an agreement in July of this year between hospital management, the HSE, Department of Health and the CFAI that up to 34 beds would be provided.
The association said that the situation is likely to worsen as winter progresses and needs to be sorted.
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