A MEDICAL charity has called for an all-Ireland approach to heart surgery for children in order to keep services, which are currently under threat, in Belfast.
The Children’s Heartbeat Trust, based at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, says strong links already exist between the Belfast hospital and Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Dublin.
Children from the North have been treated for cardiac interventions at the Crumlin hospital while surgeons from Crumlin have travelled to the Royal for procedures, according to the group.
They want these links formalised into an all-island paediatric cardiac network after a UK-wide report found that congenital heart services in Belfast, while safe, were not sustainable in terms of resources. The result is that children from the North may have to travel to Britain for surgery as soon as early 2013.
“It’s simply unacceptable if children have to travel to England,” said Sarah Quinlan of the Children’s Heartbeat Trust. “Dublin is only two hours in an ambulance from Belfast, one hour from Newry. It’s much more practical for families as well as being less of a financial burden,” she said.
“The report that was carried out looked at England, Wales and Northern Ireland but we are making the case that Northern Ireland needs to be looked at separately. The population is far smaller plus there is the option of an all-Ireland approach.
The North’s Department of Health has launched its own review of services and expects to release its findings in the New Year, following a period of public consultation.