Cystic Fibrosis inpatient beds need to treble, says charity

The number of inpatient beds for cystic fibrosis patients needs to almost triple in the coming years, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland has said.

Currently there are seven inpatient beds for cystic fibrosis patients in Dublin's Beaumont Hospital, but that needs to be increased to 20, according to Philip Watt, chief executive of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.

Speaking at the launch of its annual 65 Roses awareness and fundraising appeal, Mr Watt said there were still significant gaps in the care of cystic fibrosis patients.

He said that there were no cystic fibrosis specialist centres north of a line from Dublin to Galway.

He called for the “urgent commencement” of a promised new paediatric ward block at Cork University Hospital that would incorporate a new cystic fibrosis unit for children.

The charity also called for €1 million to be provided to incorporate a new cystic fibrosis unit in University Hospital Limerick – the unit has already been built thanks to charitable fundraising. Mr Watt said the problems for children with cystic fibrosis were being compounded by the delays in building the new national children's hospital.

He also criticised the failure to implement the “soft opt-out” for organ-donor consent which was part of the 2011 programme for government. It would assume consent for organ donation unless a person explicitly says otherwise.

He said such a move would benefit cystic fibrosis sufferers as it would allow for a greater number of lung transplants to take place.

There are some 1,200 people with cystic fibrosis in Ireland, the highest percentage per head of population in the world.

As part of the 65 Roses Week from April 20th-26th, volunteers will be selling 65 Roses pins and silk purple roses with a fundraising target of €100,000 for cystic fibrosis research.