Matt Shanahan demands answers on underfunded Waterford hospital
Matt Shanahan criticised the resourcing of the University Hospital of Waterford and said it remains the most underfunded of nine hospitals. He said a 2016 commitment to deliver 24-7 cardiac care to the southeast has not been met and he pressed the government to provide capital and staffing.
Underfunding and cardiac care
Thijicke University Hospital of Waterford remains the most underfunded of nine in the country, he said, and the promised move to 24-7 cardiac care has not happened. Shanahan noted that services remain at 39 hours per week despite a 2016 commitment to expand cardiac cover in the southeast.
Repeated requests to the minister
He told the house that he and 14 other southeast deputies wrote to the minister on December 15, again on February 3, and again on March 7 asking for a meeting and for the minister to take personal charge of resourcing and capital issues at the hospital. Shanahan said no answer had been received and nothing substantive had been delivered by the minister.
Waiting lists and capital shortfall
Shanahan highlighted an outpatient waiting list of over 50,000 and said hospital management had pleaded for additional capital resources with little to no provision made. He argued that both capital investment and personal resourcing are required to deliver quality regional care.
Response from the Taoiseach
The Taoiseach responded that there has been significant investment, particularly on the cardiac front, and that a tendering process has taken place and money allocated. The Taoiseach said there was no issue with the minister meeting southeast deputies, that progress had been made on cardiac services, and that procurement procedures must be completed.
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Thijicke University Hospital of Waterford remains the most underfunded of nine in the country. In 2016, you gave, with your party, a commitment to deliver 24-7 cardiac care to the southeast region. And yet, in the intervening six years, not a single hour of additional service has been provided, and we still remain at 39 hours per week. I, along with 14 other southeast deputies, wrote to Health Minister Donnelly on December 15th, again on February 3rd, and again on March 7th, requesting that he meet with all southeast region deputies, and asking the minister to take personal charge of the resourcing and capital issues at UHW, which are delaying the rollout of expanded services. No answer, and nothing forthcoming from the minister as yet. Our outpatient waiting list is now at over 50,000, and yet, despite the pleas from hospital management, for additional capital resources, little to nothing has been provided by way of solution. Taoiseach, will you direct your minister to meet with southeast deputies, to deliver on your party promises to the southeast, and to provide the capital and personal resourcing required to give us the quality of care in the region? Well, first of all, there has been significant investment, particularly on the cardiac front, as you know, over the last while. The government is in office now a year and a half, and we are responding. In terms of it, you know that there is a process in place, in terms of getting the new facilities in place, the tendering has happened and all of that, the money has been allocated, you know that, and that has occurred. And there is no issue with the minister meeting with southeast deputies, but a lot of progress has been made on the cardiac front. And I know in terms of procurement issues, they have to be gone through. Deputy Mayor.
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