Heart Attack Care in Kilkenny?

JMT2016

Hey folks,

Just wondering with all the talk on the radio today about heart attack facilities in Waterford - what is the story with Heart Attack care here?

Here is the report that is being mentioned in the news:

health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Dr.-Herity-Clinical-Review.pdf

It seems to me that most of kilkenny is not being counted as part of the catchment area for 24/7 south east heart attack care because St. Lukes sends a lot of referrals to St. James Hospital in Dublin instead of Waterford.

There is a diagram on page 19 showing a big arrow from Kilkenny heading towards Dublin while the rest of the south east points towards waterford.

Then, on page 38 there is a picture showing that most of south kilkenny has no 24/7 cover within 1.5 hours?

Is this an issue here?

Cabaal

spotted this comment on the thejournal.ie which seems to offer some insight

http://www.thejournal.ie/halligan-government-impasse-2969838-Sep2016/

I think Minister Halligan needs to outline what services he doesn’t want provided to permit opening of an unused cathlab in Waterford. Patients from neighbouring hospitals e.g. Kilkenny or Clonmel are typically sent to Dublin or Cork for treatment. This is partially because those units do bigger volumes and have cardio thoracic surgery on site if the cath fails so they can proceed to bypass surgery. The biplane screening device necessary for a cath lab is €1.8 million on its own before building and appointing additional staff (if you can get them to a role where there would be very limited work). Remember there are theatres closed across Ireland because we can’t recruit specialist staff.

JMT2016

Cabaal wrote: »

spotted this comment on the thejournal.ie which seems to offer some insight

Thanks - yes an interesting comment - it's from someone who knows what they are talking about by the sounds of it!

Although the report contradicts it though because Clonmel mostly goes to Waterford:

"For most counties the admission profile at UHW is very similar to that of the total admission profile with the following notable differences: lower percentage admission rates for residents of Carlow and Kilkenny and higher percentage admission rates for residents of Wexford and Tipperary South
These patterns are readily explained by the professional linkages (and cath lab sessions) of the consultant cardiologists in the relevant local hospitals."

What are these "professional linkages"? Is the region as a whole losing out as a result?

road_high

Personally I'd prefer go to Dublin where the volume of specialists exist vs a half hour closer in a place I may not be as confident of. I assume in emergency cases they would have the ability to stabilise in St Luke's and transfer you to James's or wherever. I've not once heard this issue discussed locally so I don't think it's exercising people in the way it has in Waterford. I'm no expert anyhow and would be interested in everyone having access to the very best care regardless of where they live. If the appropriate Independent expert report has not recommended extension to Ardkeen well then I'm willing to listen to that. I appreciate not all specialist services can be in every city in the country- we are a very small country with limited resources.

road_high

JMT2016 wrote: »

What are these "professional linkages"? Is the region as a whole losing out as a result?

I'd say it's Doctors and Consultants in St. Lukes with links to Dublin Hospitals through training, inertia ("we always refer patients there") and just generally more professional contact.
Not sure if the SE as a whole is loosing out if more Carlow/Kilkenny patients are referred to Dublin- would that still create the critical mass required? - the cynic in me tells me it's probably convenient for the State to hive us off to Dublin, as they can then say there's not the critical mass there for the service at UH Waterford

road_high

Cabaal wrote: »

spotted this comment on the thejournal.ie which seems to offer some insight

http://www.thejournal.ie/halligan-government-impasse-2969838-Sep2016/

Waterford "General" Hospital?- I can hear the pitchforks sharpening as I type

JMT2016

road_high wrote: »

Personally I'd prefer go to Dublin where the volume of specialists exist vs a half hour closer in a place I may not be as confident of. I assume in emergency cases they would have the ability to stabilise in St Luke's and transfer you to James's or wherever. I've not once heard this issue discussed locally so I don't think it's exercising people in the way it has in Waterford.....

I appreciate not all specialist services can be in every city in the country- we are a very small country with limited resources.

Perhaps it's because kilkenny city is that little bit closer to Dublin - still almost 1.5 hours per google maps. I'm not aware of any reason to be less confident of cardiac specialists outside of Dublin?

I agree it doesn't seem to be exercising people - it's surprising given that much of kilkenny is outside that critical time boundary to access the healthcare.

Someone having a cardiac arrest at a match in Glenmore would have to get to St. Lukes to then be transferred to Dublin when a facility in Ardkeen would have had them saved in a fraction of the time that would involve.

We're not talking about "all specialist services" here - I just don't understand the general consensus to skimp on what is emergency life saving care in one of the few healthcare areas where every minute counts to save lives?

road_high wrote: »

I'd say it's Doctors and Consultants in St. Lukes with links to Dublin Hospitals through training, inertia ("we always refer patients there") and just generally more professional contact.
Not sure if the SE as a whole is loosing out if more Carlow/Kilkenny patients are referred to Dublin- would that still create the critical mass required? - the cynic in me tells me it's probably convenient for the State to hive us off to Dublin, as they can then say there's not the critical mass there for the service at UH Waterford

It could be read that way - use the current treatment patterns caused by underfunding to reduce the catchment area to justify more underfunding!

The cardiologists already based in waterford seem to think they had a lock-tight case based on catchment area - it's their reaction to the report saying that the catchment is roughly half what they say it is - is what I find most interesting!

road_high

JMT2016 wrote: »

Perhaps it's because kilkenny city is that little bit closer to Dublin - still almost 1.5 hours per google maps. I'm not aware of any reason to be less confident of cardiac specialists outside of Dublin?

I agree it doesn't seem to be exercising people - it's surprising given that much of kilkenny is outside that critical time boundary to access the healthcare.

Someone having a cardiac arrest at a match in Glenmore would have to get to St. Lukes to then be transferred to Dublin when a facility in Ardkeen would have had them saved in a fraction of the time that would involve.

We're not talking about "all specialist services" here - I just don't understand the general consensus to skimp on what is emergency life saving care in one of the few healthcare areas where every minute counts to save lives?



It could be read that way - use the current treatment patterns caused by underfunding to reduce the catchment area to justify more underfunding!

The cardiologists already based in waterford seem to think they had a lock-tight case based on catchment area - it's their reaction to the report saying that the catchment is roughly half what they say it is - is what I find most interesting!

As I say I'm no expert at all and will listen to all sides in this debate...reason I say less confident is partly the Primetime programme I saw last year with a lady on who's husband had sadly died as a result of not getting the care he needed on time in WRH- just me personally saying it that wouldn't fill me with confidence, Dublin would, as I know there's such a critical mass going through the system. I take the point of course that had the same level of funding been provided as Cork / Dublin to WRH then that wouldn't have been the case.
I think all International experts would say Large Centres of Excellence have the best outcomes.

As for the person in Glenmore or any where in South KK or South Wexford, I'd assume the ambulance would be bringing them to WRH anyhow and onto Cork not St. Lukes as that would be their immediate catchement.

JMT2016

road_high wrote: »

As for the person in Glenmore or any where in South KK or South Wexford, I'd assume the ambulance would be bringing them to WRH anyhow and onto Cork not St. Lukes as that would be their immediate catchement.

Genuine question - is that really the best we can do in this scenario?

It's not like the South East is as remote as the Skelligs here!

road_high

JMT2016 wrote: »

Genuine question - is that really the best we can do in this scenario?

It's not like the South East is as remote as the Skelligs here!

I can't answer that I'm afraid..but I do appreciate that we can't have every single service in each Region or city, we have good access to Dublin and Cork- they aren't that far away (as ya say we are not the Skelligs )
I trust what the medical experts will say, it's not their business to endanger lives or put them at risk I don't think and work within the funding constraints that the HSE live under.

Chiparus

road_high wrote: »

I can't answer that I'm afraid..but I do appreciate that we can't have every single service in each Region or city, we have good access to Dublin and Cork- they aren't that far away (as ya say we are not the Skelligs )
I trust what the medical experts will say, it's not their business to endanger lives or put them at risk I don't think and work within the funding constraints that the HSE live under.

The longer you wait for cardiac cauterization in a heart attack the worse the outcome.
Under the plan, kilkenny patients will get it the next day, Dublin patients will get it in an hour.
This is bad news for patients in the south east.

road_high

Chiparus wrote: »

The longer you wait for cardiac cauterization in a heart attack the worse the outcome.
Under the plan, kilkenny patients will get it the next day, Dublin patients will get it in an hour.
This is bad news for patients in the south east.

Are more patients in the SE dying or worse medical outcomes versus Dublin or Cork?

Chiparus

road_high wrote: »

Are more patients in the SE dying or worse medical outcomes versus Dublin or Cork?

Very difficult to say, but immediate cardiac catherisation within 90 minutes is the gold standard.
You have a 30% improvement in survival after a heart attack.

road_high

Do the regional hospitals in Galway and Limerick have similar levels of care to Dublin?
Also I do think the way the south east region is divided is too outdated...I consider most of Wicklow, south Kildare and south east Laois to be far more south east than most of Tipperary! Know for a fact a lot of the area use St Luke's in Kilkenny as its often nearer than Dublin. Yet the report doesn't mention these areas, it's assumed they're Dublin...
North Tipp is most definitely not the "south east" and in any case is beside Limerick.

JMT2016

Dr. Herity was interviewed this morning by Cathal MacCoille on Radio 1.

Was disappointed by it. Cathal was using the wrong figures in the report - he should have been using the table on page 20 and this wasted valuable time to discuss the key issues.

Cathal did mention the catchment area but didn't probe Dr. Herity's answer.

No mention of why 74% of the population of Kilkenny is left out of Dr. Herity's catchment area for example.

Also no questioning of the downgrade of the emergency care suggested by Dr. Herity - surely this controversial finding merited at least one question?

He did put it to Dr. Herity to explain how the people of South Wexford who would be well over 2 hours from the treatment would be treated? This was the only time Dr. Herity struggled throughout the interview and his answer was left wanting especially his need to point out that there were some other parts of the country in a similar situation.

Of course he didn't highlight that these areas were sparsely populated and not a regional hub of several hundred thousand people. (see the diagram for yourself on page 37 of the report)

The interview did get across that this is a regional issue which has been somewhat missed with several people and media outlets taking advantage of the opportunity to have potshots at John Halligan at the expense of the serious healthcare issues at play.

You can listen to a podcast of the interview here under the rather misleading headline "Substantial expansion of cardiac services was recommended - Herity" - funny how the reduction in emergency care never even made the interview - nevermind the headline!

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/morning-ireland/

JMT2016

There's an amazing article in the Irish Examiner today about Jennifer's story - I'm going to post it in full because everyone needs to read this

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/id-be-less-a-child-if-she-had-cardiac-arrest-after-5pm-420317.html

Irish Examiner wrote:

‘I’d be less a child if she had cardiac arrest after 5pm’
If Willie Doyle’s daughter had been an hour later getting to Waterford hospital, he doubts if she would be alive today.

“My daughter [Jennifer Pheasey, 41] had a cardiac arrest at 4.30pm on a Friday. We were told that if it had happened an hour later she wouldn’t have survived. I’d be less a daughter, her children would be less a mother, and her husband would be less a wife,” he told the Irish Examiner.

“She had been moving things earlier in the day and thought it was just a muscle pain but she went to her GP. The GP sent her straight over to casualty in Waterford hospital.

“We got a call to say our daughter was dying and to come straight down. She was attended to straight away and had a stent fitted.”

This was two years ago now and, ever since, the family has campaigned as the ‘24/7 Cardiac Cover for the South East’ group.

At the moment, the cardiac unit of University Hospital Waterford (UHW) only operates on a 9am-5pm basis, Monday to Friday.

“If you have a cardiac arrest, it means the blood supply to your heart is interrupted. You need a stent fitted, and you have 90 minutes maximum in which to do that,” said Mr Doyle.

“So if you’re in Dublin, Cork, Galway, or Limerick and you have a cardiac arrest you can be treated 24/7, 365 days of the year.

“But if you’re in the south-east and UHW is your nearest hospital, you can only have a cardiac arrest Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, that’s when the unit is open.

“When it comes to 5 o’clock, you’ve to go down to Cork. They say you can get down in an ambulance but, to get from the hospital out onto the dual carriageway, the ambulance has to negotiate 14 roundabouts.

“They also say you could go by helicopter but that means having a helicopter on standby from 5 o’clock. And furthermore, there isn’t a helipad in UHW or in Cork.”

Mr Doyle also explained the lack of services is not just an issue for the entire south-east region.

“If you look at the south-east — that’s Wexford, Waterford, city and county, Kilkenny, and south Tipperary; that’s a population of half a million for UHW to cater for. That’s the region,” he said.

“It’s about saving lives in the south-east and it doesn’t matter if you save one life or 10 lives — every life counts.”

Every life counts. Indeed.

road_high

Is the Air Ambulance service being used in the more remote parts of the s east at all that are above this time to get to Dublin or Cork?

JMT2016

road_high wrote: »

Is the Air Ambulance service being used in the more remote parts of the s east at all that are above this time to get to Dublin or Cork?

I don't know the answer to that one - but given that it says in the article above "there isn’t a helipad in UHW or in Cork.” I can't see how it can.

JMT2016

Lots of interesting coverage in the papers today about the South East Campaign for Emergency Healthcare.

Not least the headline in the Sunday Independent http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/i-will-rain-hell-on-this-government-35039206.html

From what I have read in the coverage I am again disappointed that there seems to be the assumption that the report cannot be questioned.

One expert, who made the catchment area a matter of opinion rather than fact and who was told "the service would be a waste of very limited resources", made some real analytical howlers to justify the unacceptable status quo.

Now we must all bow in unquestioning reverence? It's so bad that Mr. Harris won't even meet the consultants in Waterford who clearly must know what is going on above everyone else.

Either way, it is now clear that this issue is not going away. It has gone nuclear and will now dominate the media for the next week, at least until John Halligan appears on the Late Late Show next Friday (according to the Sunday Independent).

Do people really think that Halligan got elected championing a total non-issue?

JMT2016

road_high wrote: »

Is the Air Ambulance service being used in the more remote parts of the s east at all that are above this time to get to Dublin or Cork?

I found this as well on the South East Cardiac Care Facebook page- any air travel seems to depend on the Coastguard service:

Why is it that once again the people of this region are brought to their knees and have to beg for a life saving service that the rest of the country has. Is it because some of the elected politicians in the SOUTH EAST are not vocal or strong enough to fight for this issue and deliver what we are entitled to. The Cardiac Unit at UHW is one of the 5 Centres Of Excellence in the country for cardiac intervention but only opens 9 to 5, Monday to Friday.

It is beyond comprehension for a report to suggest that critically ill cardiac patients should have to endure a road journey to Cork ( subject to ambulance availability ) or a helicoptor journey ( subject to availability as it is primarily for coastguard duties with no landing pad in either UHW or CUH) and all of this while your lifesaving minutes are ticking away.

road_high

JMT2016 wrote: »

I don't know the answer to that one - but given that it says in the article above "there isn’t a helipad in UHW or in Cork.” I can't see how it can.

Also go to Dublin. They possibly land at airport and onto the hospital

road_high

JMT2016 wrote: »

I don't know the answer to that one - but given that it says in the article above "there isn’t a helipad in UHW or in Cork.” I can't see how it can.

JMT2016 wrote: »

I found this as well on the South East Cardiac Care Facebook page- any air travel seems to depend on the Coastguard service:

Why is it that once again the people of this region are brought to their knees and have to beg for a life saving service that the rest of the country has. Is it because some of the elected politicians in the SOUTH EAST are not vocal or strong enough to fight for this issue and deliver what we are entitled to. The Cardiac Unit at UHW is one of the 5 Centres Of Excellence in the country for cardiac intervention but only opens 9 to 5, Monday to Friday.

It is beyond comprehension for a report to suggest that critically ill cardiac patients should have to endure a road journey to Cork ( subject to ambulance availability ) or a helicoptor journey ( subject to availability as it is primarily for coastguard duties with no landing pad in either UHW or CUH) and all of this while your lifesaving minutes are ticking away.

This is not exercising the rest of the SE in any great way though is it? Think
I'm the only poster to even comment here not from Waterford.

JMT2016

road_high wrote: »

This is not exercising the rest of the SE in any great way though is it? Think I'm the only poster to even comment here not from Waterford.

It's hard to know really - on boards I agree - but if you were listening to comments from radio programmes there were people from Wexford getting involved because of course it directly impacts us all in the South East.

I wouldn't read too much into it to be honest, I mean look at this wonderful announcement about Radiology services for Aut Even Hospital this week- this didn't get any mention here either or comments on the Kilkenny People website but yet I have no doubt there's plenty talk about it.

http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/news/home/215429/aut-even-hospital-kilkenny-announces-8-million-investment-plan-next-three-years.html

Kilkenny People wrote:

Aut Even Hospital, Kilkenny, has been given the go ahead for a major capital investment.

The €8 million - a major boost of confidence to the hospital - will include a state-of-the-art, purpose built, radiology suite.

The project will include upgrades within its six unique ultra-clean theatres.

The new diagnostics department will include the most technologically advanced diagnostic equipment available on the market.

The purpose built radiology suite will include a new MRI (Magnetic Resource Imaging), with Cardiac MR capability, CT (Computed Tomography), X-Ray and Ultrasound machines.

Patients will scanned using only state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.

Diagnostic radiology is the field of medicine that uses imaging exams and procedures to diagnose a patient. In any form of medical care, diagnostic radiology plays an integral part in the diagnosis of disease or injury.

The hospital employs over 250 staff and is a major. With this announcement today, the hospital will create a further 20 positions, to include the building project along with administrative and allied health professional roles.

Speaking at the announcement Margaret Swords CEO, Aut Even Hospital said the hospital, which has been providing excellent clinical care for 100 years, is putting in place a foundation for another 100 years of excellence.

“Our patients and our clinical teams require the best of technology to provide all of our services and this investment will sustain and grow the suite of services we provide to the local and regional community.

“This investment speaks volumes in terms of our future as a private hospital and as a partner in support to St Luke’s hospital in providing medical care to the community of Kilkenny, Carlow, Tipperary and the wider geographical area on the south East and Midlands.”

“The construction work and the expansion of our Radiology Department will provide additional jobs for the local population and as with our recent refurbishment we will strive to use local suppliers and businesses in these developments,” she said.

The hospital has six ultra-clean laminar flow operating theatres, the upgrade will bring the already first-class facilities to the forefront of Irish Private Hospitals.

In 2015 Aut Even had over 14,000 admissions into its 100-bed hospital. Aut Even is a major player in the Private Hospital market in the South East and offers patients access to a broad range of surgical specialties. The tradition of care, upon which its foundations have been built, continues to be of paramount importance to the Hospital’s framework of quality and patient safety. Since 2008, Aut Even has been accredited by the US-based Joint Commission International (JCI) which represents the highest seal of approval for medical facilities that provide the safest and most effective quality care.

JMT2016

Eamon Dunphy was excellent on the Late Late Show this evening.

He highlighted that
1. Outside of business hours, the care being offered to heart attack patients is totally inadequate - helicopters to cork were mentioned!
2. This is a south-east regional issue not a waterford one
3. This affects hundreds of thousands of people
4. John Halligan is sincere in his efforts to highlight this disgrace

10 days on and this is still hitting the headlines.

Now that a public protest has been called for next Saturday 24th 2-4pm, The Glen, Waterford - it really shows that this issue is not going to go away.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1396305280398987/

South East Patients Advocacy Group appeal to the people of the South East to come out and voice your protest at the ongoing erosion of services including cardiology services at Waterford University Hosptial.

This protest is non political and there will be no political speeches - this is purely a protest by the people whose lives are being affected by the ongoing cuts to services available to them in University Hospital Waterford

The politicians had their say... the consultants had their say... now it's our turn... let's show them that we are not going to lie down and accept this despicable situation any longer

road_high

JMT2016 wrote: »

Eamon Dunphy was excellent on the Late Late Show this evening.

He highlighted that
1. Outside of business hours, the care being offered to heart attack patients is totally inadequate - helicopters to cork were mentioned!
2. This is a south-east regional issue not a waterford one
3. This affects hundreds of thousands of people
4. John Halligan is sincere in his efforts to highlight this disgrace

10 days on and this is still hitting the headlines.

Now that a public protest has been called for next Saturday 24th 2-4pm, The Glen, Waterford - it really shows that this issue is not going to go away.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1396305280398987/

Eamon Dunphy like Halligan is a freeloading anarchist, as I've said before this a non issue outside of Waterford. Your posts are not generating any interest here, I wonder why? I've no interest in his politics agenda (SF/AAA/anarchy), the independent report and the medical opinions of doctors on St Luke's do however. Let's have another march, sounds useful alright

Dunmoreroader

road_high wrote: »

Eamon Dunphy like Halligan is a freeloading anarchist, as I've said before this a non issue outside of Waterford. Your posts are not generating any interest here, I wonder why? I've no interest in his politics agenda (SF/AAA/anarchy), the independent report and the medical opinions of doctors on St Luke's do however. Let's have another march, sounds useful alright

Don't care about any of the party politics; this IS about loss of regional services which DOES affect Kilkenny as much as Waterford. I am, like you, interested in hearing the opinions of consultants in St. Lukes. If UHW had 24/7 cardiac services equal to the Mater or St. James, would you now refer your elective or emergency patients 30 minutes south or 90 minutes northeast?
Why wouldn't you throw your considerable clout behind securing equality for your region as consultants in Wexford and South Tipp have?

JMT2016

road_high wrote: »

Eamon Dunphy like Halligan is a freeloading anarchist, as I've said before this a non issue outside of Waterford. Your posts are not generating any interest here, I wonder why? I've no interest in his politics agenda (SF/AAA/anarchy), the independent report and the medical opinions of doctors on St Luke's do however. Let's have another march, sounds useful alright

I think we should be playing the ball here not the man.

I'm all for hearing the medical opinions of the consultants in St. Lukes.

For example, I'm sure the thoughts of St. Luke's consultant cardiologist Michael Conway (who wants Kilkenny to become 'little Oxford') would be very interesting. But then he wasn't asked unfortunately to contribute to the "independent report".

JMT2016

road_high wrote: »

as I've said before this a non issue outside of Waterford.

I can't see how you can back up the statement considering
1. the statistics in the report clearly show referral patterns from Wexford and Clonmel are to WUH -
2. the diagrams in the report show most of the southern half of kilkenny and wexford outside of the gold standard 1.5 hours from a 24/7 care centre
3. South East consultants (including from Tipperary and Wexford) appeared in a press conference together in Dublin this week which attracted considerable media attention - see here

Now why the kilkenny consultants never seem to have had any interest in WUH is a separate question, but certainly one that shouldn't keep the whole region to ransom over equal access to emergency healthcare - all centres of excellence nationally should be equal!

JMT2016

Oh look where the HSE is spending the South East Cardiac Care Money

The 1.8 MILLION Helipad mightn't be as priority if South East Cardiac Care patients didn't need to travel half away across the country to get basic healthcare outside of 9-5.

P.s. Can anyone send me on a link to the independent report justifying a 1.8 million conversion of car park spaces to a helipad?
Or are independent reports only needed if the South East needs basic emergency care?

http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/helicopter-landing-site-cuh-needed/2533388/

Evening Echo wrote:

HELICOPTER LANDING SITE FOR CUH NEEDED

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016
AN on-site helipad for Cork University Hospital is edging closer to reality, with confirmation that the HSE hopes to lodge a planning application shortly.

The issue of the ongoing wait for the helipad, which is projected to cost €1.8m, was raised at yesterday’s HSE Regional Health Forum South meeting in County Hall.

Cllr John Buttimer called on the health service to publish a full report on the development of a helicopter landing site at CUH, noting the timeliness of the motion given the airlifiting of three young children from West Cork to the hospital on Tuesday night after they sustained burn injuries in an explosion in their home.

The helicopter landed in Bishopstown, as is common procedure, where an ambulance was waiting to transfer the patients to hospital.

“Recent events in Cork this week and other separate incidents have highlighted the need for a helicopter landing pad at CUH. It is one of the largest university teaching hospitals and one of the largest trauma 1 centres in the country.”

Addressing Cllr Buttimer’s question, Gerry O’Dwyer, chief executive of the South/South Western Hospital Group, confirmed that the HSE is in advanced talks with the Irish Aviation Authority with a view to lodge planning permission shortly.

“The position at the moment is we’re in very delicate negotiations with the Aviation Authority because the type of helicopter that is required to land there is the coastguard helicopter which is based in either Shannon or Waterford along with the Air Corps helicopter which is based presently in Athlone.”

“The position is when we finish the final negotiations with the aviation authority, which are about to conclude shortly, we will then lodge planning permission.”

Mr O’Dwyer stated that the HSE’s priority is to ensure that patients can go straight to the hospital rather than have to go to any other location.

“We have a temporary location in Bishopstown at the moment and occasionally we use Cork Airport,” he added.

“We’re looking closely at the number of car parking spaces that we will have to remove and what locations we can put those in. Our priority is to get the helicopter landing pad in, even if necessary we have to lose spaces.”

road_high

JMT2016 wrote: »

Oh look where the HSE is spending the South East Cardiac Care Money

The 1.8 MILLION Helipad mightn't be as priority if South East Cardiac Care patients didn't need to travel half away across the country to get basic healthcare outside of 9-5.

P.s. Can anyone send me on a link to the independent report justifying a 1.8 million conversion of car park spaces to a helipad?
Or are independent reports only needed if the South East needs basic emergency care?

http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/helicopter-landing-site-cuh-needed/2533388/

Just common sense. Waterford is right beside Cork, many places in west Waterford would be as near/nearer to a Cork city hospital than they would be WRH- illustrating how small we are as a state and can't afford to have duplicate specialist services adjacent to each other like this. I'm sure patients from Kerry and west Cork will avail of this helipad in emergencies, they are even further away. If it makes access to services easier for SE patients and elsewhere, then it's a warranted investment.

JMT2016

road_high wrote: »

Just common sense. ... If it makes access to services easier for SE patients and elsewhere, then it's a warranted investment.

Of course a helipad is "common sense" just like having emergency heart attack care within 1.5 hours for a region is "common sense".

That's not the point.

It's the incredibly expensive conversion of car park spaces to a helipad for the same amount of money as a "cath lab" without a murmur of contention or need for independent reports is what I am highlighting.

Helicopters currently land in Bishopstown with an awaiting ambulance which is only a short distance from the CUH, 10 minutes max per google maps. While not ideal, it is not completely unacceptable.

What is completely unacceptable is that heart attack patients, say from South Kilkenny or Wexford, have to get to Waterford to get to Cork to get the emergency life saving care they need - well outside of the 1.5 hours acceptable limit - and the amount of hostility this receives is remarkable in comparison.

I'm highlighting the utter double standard at play here.