Sir, - I write on behalf of Heart Children, a support group for families of children with congenital heart defects. I read with some dismay Mr Maurice Neligan's letter (April 20th) regarding the cardiac waiting list in which he said that "the children's situation had been dealt with".
The new cardiac surgeon may take up his position this autumn, but were will he operate? The theatres in Our Lady's Hospital remain largely unaltered since they were built almost 50 years ago. The new theatres referred to by Mr Neligan, which were first proposed in 1996 and to which the design team was appointed in January 1998, have just reached the completion of stage one of their design. The revised completion date is October 2003, which means that they will not be operational until mid-2004 at the earliest.
At present there are 128 children awaiting surgery, many for long periods. Last year, 69 children were sent abroad for surgery. This figure will increase every year for the next four years at least. Almost no elective surgery is carried out in Crumlin; most surgery is done on an emergency basis and last-minute cancellations are common. Sometimes children who have fasted overnight and have received their pre-med are sent home. This, together with the lack of facilities for both parents and children on the cardiac wards, leads to incredible stress on families and on the staff who have to work in such conditions.
Undoubtedly, Mr Neligan has campaigned long and hard to improve cardiac services in this country and his dedication and commitment are obvious. But his comments regarding cardiac services for children are in this instance unhelpful. - Yours, etc., Shay McConnell,
Chairman, Heart Children, Brandon Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12.