Health Ministers Simon Harris TD and Michelle O'Neill MLA committed to a €57 million investment in the all-island Congenital Heart Disease Service.
The Ministers made the announcement at the opening of the new Hybrid Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin (OLCHC) Dublin.
The joint opening of the Lab provided a unique platform to confirm both Ministers' commitment to the further development of the all-island Congenital Heart Disease Network which was established in March 2015. This is the first clinical network of its kind, bringing benefit to patients across the island of Ireland.
The investment by both Health Departments will realise the implementation plan put forward by the all-island Congenital Heart Disease Network Board. The plan envisages completing the phased implementation of the transfer of all urgent surgical cases from the north to OLCHC between now and the end of 2017 and all elective surgical cases by the end of 2018. In the interim OLCHC will continue to provide emergency surgical treatment for patients from Northern Ireland under the current service level agreement with the Belfast Trust.
Minister Harris said: "Being here today, in the midst of so many people whose sole purpose is to support and reassure children with congenital heart disease and their families is both humbling and uplifting. It is very clear that the staff in Crumlin, the staff who are here from the Clark Clinic in Belfast, and the Network Board have put the best interests of these children at the centre of every decision, and I am delighted to publicly confirm my support for the continued implementation of the Network. The investment announced today, combined with the detailed planning by the Network Board over the past year, will help to realise our vision of a world-class all-island Network service. This unique collaboration is the first formally established all-island Network for clinical care and I look forward to working with Minister O’Neill and her Department to identify further opportunities for collaboration into the future, so that patients – children and adults alike – can benefit from safe, high quality services with equally high quality outcomes."
Both Ministers thanked Dr Len O’Hagan and his colleagues on the all island Congenital Heart Disease Network Board who have developed the Vision Statement and produced the Business Case and Implementation Plan to support the case for investment. They also paid tribute to the patient representative organisations for their role in supporting heart patients and families across the island of Ireland, and to the excellent treatment and care provided by the clinical, nursing and administrative staff of the Network.
The full text of the Ministers’ Joint Policy Statement can be found here
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Background
The All-island CHD Network Board is responsible for implementing the IWG’s recommendations. Its work reflects the phased approach to the implementation of an all-island CHD model announced in the Joint Ministerial Statement of 14 October 2014, concentrating initially on services for paediatric and young adult patients, and progressing to adults with Congenital Heart Disease. The Cross-Jurisdictional Oversight Group, jointly chaired by the Chief Medical Officers from both jurisdictions, has the overarching responsibility for oversight of the implementation of the recommendations of the IWG.
Investment
In respect of the developments outlined and the implementation of the network, approximately €57 million / £42 million is required between both Health Departments, of which approximately €3 million/£2.2m million is capital investment to expand PICU capacity at OLCHC and develop the Children’s Heart Centre in Belfast, and the remainder is revenue investment.
Current NI-related Activity in OLCHC
Under the current Service Level Agreement, 22 procedures were carried out during 2015 and since procedures commenced in the new Hybrid Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory in mid-June, 3 NI patients so far have received their treatment in the new facility. Also under this arrangement 71 Northern patients have received catheterisation procedures in OLCHC carried out by Belfast Trust cardiologists since April 2015.
Progress on service related issues
The progress outlined in respect of telemedicine/ante-natal detection / upgrading of equipment and expanding ambulance provision for the transfer of paediatric patients between Heart centres has been supported by the Stormont Executive’s Change Fund allocation in 2015/16.