No commitment to fund Naas Hospital unit

There has been renewed criticism of the failure to provide funding to provide a specialist unit at Naas Hospital.

Kildare North Labour representative Emmet Stagg, the nominated party candidate for the next election, said an endoscopy unit is needed to tackle delays at Naas Hospital.

He said that following on from the mid-term capital spending review it was announced that a further capital allocation of €471m is to be provided for enhanced health services.

However Minister for Health Simon Harris has told him he is not in a position to say what projects will be funded in 2018. Mr. Stagg said he is “shocked” that the Minister would not state categorically that the unit would be funded.

A gastrointestinal endoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure used to diagnose various conditions and can detect polyps, tumours, Crohn’s disease and cancer.

He said the waiting list at Naas Hospital accounts for one tenth of the waiting list nationwide. The list for 18 months and over at Naas accounts for 63% of the State’s waiting list for 18 months and over. The waiting list for 15-18 months at Naas is 55% of the State’s waiting list for the same period.

The waiting list for 12-15 months at Naas is 32% of the State’s waiting list for the same period.

He said the lists show that the service has effectively collapsed at Naas Hospital and the Minister and HSE need to act.