Cabinet approval has been granted for the expansion of cardiac care at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) to a 24/7 basis.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill made the decision to move to 24/7 cardiac care on foot of the most recent data from Irish Heart Attack Audit.
Minister Carroll MacNeill also brought the National Review of Adult Specialist Cardiac Services to Cabinet.
In the region of €611,000 from existing HSE resources has been agreed today for new cardiology posts and Minister MacNeill says she will work with the HSE to secure 24/7 emergency cardiac care at UHW.
This follows years of campaigning locally to secure such a service
Political representatives in Waterford have welcomed today’s announcement.
Speaking to WLR, Government Chief Whip, Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler said: “This is a significant and long-awaited step for the people of Waterford and the entire South-East. The development of 24/7 cardiac services at University Hospital Waterford will provide certainty for families and ensure that people in this region have access to the highest standards of emergency cardiac care, no matter the time of day.
“I warmly welcome the confirmation today from Minister Carroll MacNeill that funding of €611k will be made available in 2025 to begin phasing in the extra staff and other resources to move from the current 12/7 service to a full 24/7 service.”
She added: “We now have a clear pathway to delivering full 24/7 cardiac services in Waterford, long fought for by many of us, and the Irish Heart Attack Audit and National Review of Cardiac Services supports this.”
Waterford Fine Gael TD, and Minister of State at the Department of Housing John Cummins, said: “This is really positive news for the people in Waterford and the South-East region. I am delighted that the Minister is making this decision today to expand the service at UHW to 24/7 cardiac care to meet the needs in the South-East. This is something which I and others have been working towards for a long number of years.”
He continued: “The Programme for Government commits to building on the existing national cardiovascular policy and developing new and more ambitious plans to enhance patient care across the regions. The decision today by my party colleague proves that this is a priority for Government. The Herity Report has now been consigned to history and we can now look forward with confidence to cardiology services at UHW being expanded in the time ahead until we reach our shared goal of 24/7.”
Local campaigners have also welcomed the announcement, including Willie Doyle of the 24/7 Cardiac Care for Waterford and the South-East campaign group. Hear more on air on WLR across the day.
For the latest Waterford News and Sport, tune into WLR News on the hour and download the WLR App for news on demand.
