14/10/2014

Children's Heart Surgery No Longer Available In Northern Ireland

Children's paediatric heart surgery is to end in Northern Ireland, moving to a single all-Ireland surgical unit in Dublin.

Northern Ireland's Health Minister, Jim Wells, confirmed today that children's heart surgery will no longer be available, replaced instead with a cardiac centre of excellence, providing diagnostics and aftercare to northern-based children with congenital heart defects.

Those in need of surgery will now have to travel to a new all-Ireland surgical unit to be established at Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Dublin.

The news brings an end to the uncertainty over children's paediatric care in Northern Ireland. However, it is understood the plan will still be put to a public consultation before being finalised.

After that it is estimated the service will take between 12 to 18 months to become fully operational.

(MH/CD)

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