CF patients seek assurance from HSE over St. Vincent's Unit

13 April 2010

Patients seeking assurances from HSE that there will not be another delay in long promised new Cystic Fibrosis Centre in St Vincent’s University Hospital because of a row over funding a car park.

Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland is very concerned at an increasingly likely delay in the long awaited Cystic Fibrosis (CF) ward and day centre in St Vincent’s Hospital as a result of what appears to be in part a  row over funding for a car park for the hospital.

“I can see no justification for the HSE delaying funding for life saving CF services in Ireland, particularly when it appears to involve a row over car park that was completed five years ago” said Philip Watt, CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland.

A new ward block to replace the inadequate existing Cystic Fibrosis accommodation is being developed at the hospital. This followed a high profile campaign by the CFAI to 2008/2009 to ensure the HSE lived up to its promise to build the long promised facility at St Vincent’s, which is the national adult referral centre for CF patients in Ireland.

One floor of a new 5 storey €34m block is to be dedicated to CF facilities. This facility will provide single room en-suite inpatient accommodation and a dedicated day unit for people with CF, including day treatment rooms with en-suite sanitary facilities which are an essential part of the approach to CF treatment to prevent cross infection.

It had been estimated in March of this year that the construction, equipping and commissioning of the new block would take approximately 18 months and the new facility would be operational in Autumn 2011.

According to a report by Maeve Sheehan in the Sunday Independent (Sunday 12th April 2010) the funding to build the new CF unit is being held up by the HSE on what appears to be an issue relating to collateral for a car park on the hospital.

The CFAI is actively seeking assurances from the HSE that vital funding for life saving CF services in the national centre in St Vincent’s is not be withheld because of any dispute.

Philip Watt further stated: “What could be more important that saving people’s lives? There have been too many false dawns already in building a comprehensive national CF Referral Centre in Ireland at the site in St Vincent’s. We need assurances form the HSE that the new CF facilities in St Vincent’s will be built on time and that this apparent further foot dragging by the HSE stops.”

End.

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