Sinn Féin TD for Waterford David Cullinane has welcomed the publication of the long-awaited review of adult specialist cardiac services and the recommendation for full 24/7 emergency cardiac care in UHW.
Teachta Cullinane said that this is a major achievement won by health campaigners in Waterford and the south east who have been pushing for decades to get full and proper services at University Hospital Waterford.
Teachta Cullinane said that the next step must be to develop not only an implementation plan for the review’s recommendations, but to implement a full and comprehensive heart health strategy that spans prevention and care in the community as well as hospital care and rehabilitation.
Teachta Cullinane said: “The publication of review of adult specialist cardiac services is well overdue, but welcome. This is an important first step towards better cardiac care services in Waterford and the south east.
“The recommendation in favour of full 24/7 emergency cardiac care at University Hospital Waterford is a major achievement won by the hard work of campaigners in Waterford and the south east over two decades of hard work. This achievement is down to the action taken by the people and the tens of thousands who have taken to the streets to demand better. It has taken some time to get here, but it is now Government policy that there should be 24/7 emergency cardiac services at UHW.
“Now we must make sure it is delivered, that time-frames are put in place quickly, and that UHW is resourced to make this a reality.
“The next step must be to not only implement the recommendations of the report, but to implement a full and comprehensive heart health strategy that spans prevention and care in the community, as well as hospital care and rehabilitation. There are important measures which can be taken – such as Sinn Féin’s proposal for a pharmacy-based risk-targeted hearth health check programme – to improve awareness of heart health, and to support people to take preventative action before needing hospital care.”
