Private hospital role for fibrosis unit

MINISTER FOR Health Mary Harney has signalled that a 120-bed unit for cystic fibrosis patients could go ahead if it was as “a voluntary hospital not owned by the State”.

Ms Harney told the Dáil that: “I am exploring this in the context of next Tuesday’s budget.”

On Monday the Minister said delays in providing a new building with state-of-the-art accommodation at St Vincent’s hospital might be overcome with private sector investment.

Giving slightly more detail during health questions yesterday, she indicated that private sector capital could be available.

“If we can provide the 120-bedded facility in an innovative way with the hospital’s support, and this is a voluntary hospital which is not owned by the State, then we should be prepared to do so”.

But Labour health spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan said it was “totally unacceptable” for the Minister to go back and ask the private sector, when they had been refused last year.

Ms O’Sullivan said that when lack of facilities for cystic fibrosis patients was first raised “in January last year, there were people from the private sector who came forward and said that they would provide the funding to build the unit. They were refused because it was an absolute guarantee given by the Minister and the HSE that this would be built under the public system in 2010.

“Now that’s being reneged on and Minister Harney is saying that she’s going to turn back and ask the private sector again, but this is totally unacceptable.

‘‘It’s not the private sector’s responsibility to provide a public health service like this for cystic fibrosis sufferers, for whom it is literally a life and death matter,” Ms O’Sullivan said.

Ireland has the highest incidence of cystic fibrosis in the world and the worse type, and “we probably have the worst services”.

Independent TD Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central) had earlier walked out of the Dáil in protest at what he called a “criminal” cut in funding for the cystic fibrosis unit.

Mr McGrath, who returned for health questions and the adjournment debate, said it was “shame on them” to be talking now about private backers. “A few cents on the pint would sort this out in the morning,” he said. It was a “major issue for 1,135 families” and he appealed to the Taoiseach and Minister for Health “to withdraw the proposal to cut funding” at the unit. The HSE last week confirmed that its pledge to provide a 120-bed facility with 30 en-suite rooms at St Vincent’s by 2010 would not be honoured.

Mr McGrath said cystic fibrosis patients “should not have to fight or protest or go on radio shows to get their services”.

Fine Gael spokesman Dr James Reilly pointed out that the original cost of the unit was €40 million but building costs had been cut by 25 per cent. Builders would take deferred payment, and he warned that the delay “will impact on all other facilities for cystic fibrosis in the country”.