Questions raised by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly’s response on Cath Lab plans
By Michael Daly
A letter from Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to Fine Gael councillor Thomas Walsh raises new questions about the return of a Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory (Cath Lab) to Sligo University Hospital. In the letter, seen by the Sligo Weekender, Minister Donnelly makes it clear that any decision to provide a permanent Cath Lab in Sligo will depend on a long-awaited report. A furore developed in mid-June when Cllr Declan Bree (Independent) first revealed the mobile Cath Lab at the hospital would cease operating at the end of June with the health minister engaging with Oireachtas members to allay concerns.
By mid-July the Sligo Weekender had reported an agreement had been reached to provide a series of major upgrades to cardiac services at the hospital and this cooled concerns about the Cath Lab.
However, the latest twist arising from the letter from the minister may surprise many.
The letter to Cllr Walsh from Minister Donnelly’s private secretary clearly states that
“Any decision to develop a permanent or fixed Cath Lab service in Sligo will be considered in the context of the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services.”
Commenting, Cllr Thomas Walsh said the Minister needs to clarify what the plan is for a new 42 bed Medical Block unit and a Cath Lab at the hospital: “Both are inter-linked, and we need clarity now on this,” he said.
Cllr Walsh said his concern now was to see what would be in the National Review, which was undertaken by Professor Philip Nolan, President of Maynooth University.
“Why is there a delay in publishing this review, it has been in the works for four years, why hold it up, and why is there no date for its publication. People have waited long enough to see this report,” Cllr Walsh said.
The letter sent by Minister Donnelly’s private secretary to Cllr Walsh states: “Sligo University Hospital has had a Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory service operating 1 to 2 days per week (mobile service) delivering diagnostic angiographies, with referral pathways to Galway University Hospitals for speciality Cardiology interventions up to the 30th June 2022.
“Following the decision of a private company to pull out of the Irish market and cease provision of the mobile Cath Lab Services at Sligo University Hospital, the Saolta Group worked with hospital management on possible contingency measures.
“Subsequent to an examination of the options for the continued provision of Cath Lab Services to patients in Sligo it was determined that, following the cessation of services by the service provider, Sligo patients will be treated at University Hospital Galway with designated slots being allocated for this cohort of patients. This arrangement will stay in place until the publication of the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services later this year.
“The National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services is in the concluding stages. It will make recommendations to achieve optimal patient outcomes at population level with particular emphasis on the safety, quality, and sustainability of the cardiac services that patients receive, by establishing the need for an optimal configuration of a national adult cardiac service. “Any decision to develop a permanent or fixed Cath Lab service in Sligo will be considered in the context of the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services.”