Further delays in delivery of second Cath Lab for the South East – report

The delivery of a second Cath lab in the South East region at the University Hospital Waterford (UHW) is set to be delayed once more due to Covid-19.

A report in today’s Irish Independent reveals it has seen a briefing prepared by officials in the Department of Health for Health Minister Stephen Donnelly which shows tough times ahead for the delivery or services, treatments, and major infrastructure projects for the Health Service Executive (HSE) – one of the highest profile casualties being the commencement of the second Cath lab at UHW.

The Independent says the 209 page briefing: “show the stark nature of the challenges ahead,” and reveals the HSE may require emergency funding to get it through the current global crisis.

In taking its information from the secret briefing document, the Irish Independent article says: “Work on a second cath lab for University Hospital Waterford has been delayed.

“The project was due to go to tender in July with an October start date for the start of construction which could take up to a year,” it concludes.

There is no new timeline given in the briefing for tendering or a start date. However, the capital funding has been earmarked for the Cath Lab, so this means the project is just delayed once more.

The HSE itself is could require an extra €1bn in funding, on top of €2bn already made available to tackle Covid-19 related health costs to cover this year, while a further €180 million will be needed to cover extra spiralling costs in regards the construction of National Children’s Hospital.

Other areas the article reveals will be hit hard in the HSE due to the Covid-19 crisis are cancer services, which it says are running at about 50%-80% below pre-Covid figures, depending on the cancer service.

Inpatient and day case waiting list are set to increase by 83% this year, while Outpatient waiting lists could increase by up to 40% by the end of the year.