“The expansion of cardiac services at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) marks a significant milestone for the people and the communities it serves, enhancing access to care for patients requiring cardiac intervention in the South East of the country,” according to Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.
Since March of last year, UHW has been providing a seven day, 8am to 8pm on-call primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and emergency cardiac care service. From early July this year, this was extended to a 24-hour basis of operation, through all 365 days of the year.
The Minister continued: “Last year, when this Government made the decision to support 24/7 care, we knew the recruitment of specialised staff would take some time, but our commitment was clear. I am very grateful to the excellent staff and management at UHW for their continued commitment and dedication to providing specialised cardiac care.”
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), also known as coronary angioplasty, is a minimally invasive procedure used to open blocked or narrowed heart arteries. It restores blood flow to the heart muscle, relieving chest pain (angina) and preventing heart muscle damage during or after a heart attack.
This specialist cardiac service at UHW, using both cardiac catheterisation laboratories in the hospital, will support the care needs of those living the surrounding parts of the HSE Dublin and South East region.
The expansion at UHW is the culmination of a project which featured the construction of a two storey extension at the hospital and a recruitment programme in train for an additional 10 Whole Time Equivalent specialist posts.
The 2-storey extension included a Specialist Procedures Room (second Cath Lab), a Preparation and Recovery Room, diagnostic facilities, and ancillary accommodation.
According to HSE Chief Clinical Officer, Dr Colm Henry, “the opening of a 24/7 Primary PCI service in UHW is a very welcome development and is expected to help reduce acute mortality and improve long-term outcomes in patients having an acute heart attack in the South East Region of the country.”
Marking the expansion, Consultant Cardiologist Mr Patrick O’Callaghan explained how their “dedicated staff have an excellent reputation in caring for all those that depend on us. As an acute hospital providing specialist services in Co Waterford and areas across four surrounding counties in the South East, it has been our aim to have as full a suite of cardiac facilities as is practicable.
“For some time, clinicians and management in UHW, along with colleagues in the HSE, have been working towards delivering this expansion. Support from the Department of Health, including by way of funding being in place to achieve recruitment of necessary staffing, has also been important and we look forward to providing the increased service.”
Regional Executive Officer, HSE Dublin and South East, Martina Queally added: “Along with my colleague Waterford Wexford Integrated Healthcare Area Manger Dr Sinéad Reynolds, each time we have visited UHW and spoken to members of the Cardiology Care team there, we have been impressed at the incremental planning for the point that we have now reached.
“As their efforts to look after patients and outpatients in their care have been appreciated to date, I am sure that this expansion of the cardiac speciality team and the development of the service provision will be of comfort to so many users and their families.”
UHW Chief Executive Ben O’Sullivan noted how “meeting the 6th of July target for the expansion of primary PCI to a 24/7 service is a significant milestone. This date is also a momentous one for all those who have campaigned for the expansion of the service across Waterford and the South East. I would like to thank all the staff involved in providing the service, through the opening of the second Cath Lab in September 2023 with increased scheduled activity, progressing to an 8am-8pm, seven days on call PCI service in March 2025 and now a full 24/7 PCI service in July 2026.
“At each point over the past three years, UHW’s Cardiology department has ensured continuous safe care for patients, whilst attracting the best in their fields to UHW to deliver the service. I would also like to thank our colleagues in Cork and Dublin hospitals, who have supported our patients with an out-of-hours service. UHW endeavours to deliver care without a requirement to transfer patients to other centres and our 24/7 service will deliver care locally to some 70 patients each year without a requirement to travel.”
According to Clinical Co-Lead of the National Heart Office, Prof Joe Galvin, UHW has “joined Ireland's six other regional Primary PCI centres charged with opening occluded coronary arteries using a 'keyhole' approach called Percutaneous Coronary intervention (PCI). If patients can be transferred directly from their home or a public place to the hospitals Cardiac Catheterisation Lab within 120 mins of the heart attack being diagnosed, mortality rates with heart attack are almost halved. The opening of UHW's 24/7 service will effectively reduce to 0% the number of patients living less than 90 mins from a PCI centre and avoid the significantly longer travel times to Cork and Dublin for this region."