Sign up now for ease of access to The Medical Independent, Ireland’s most frequently published medical newspaper, delivering award-winning news and investigative reporting.
Established in 2010, along with its sister publication The Medical Independent, our stated aim is to investigate and analyse the major issues affecting healthcare and the medical profession in Ireland. The Medical Independent has won a number of awards for its investigative journalism, and its stories are frequently picked up by national digital, broadcast and print media. The Medical Independent is published by GreenCross Publishing.
Address: Top Floor, 111 Rathmines Road Lr, Dublin 6
Tel: 353 (01) 441 0024
GreenCross Publishing is owned by Graham Cooke.
You are reading 1 of 2 free-access articles allowed for 30 days
The cardioversion programme at the Mater University Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin, is due to recommence after being postponed for more than six months due to the pandemic. A hospital spokesperson confirmed to the Medical Independent that cardioversion for atrial fibrillation (AF) had been paused after a GP raised concerns that patients were unable to access the procedure. “This is due to current constraints around providing recovery beds to correlate with general anaesthesia and theatre availability. This has led to the Mater exploring a new methodology for cardioversion under conscious sedation rather than GA [general anaesthesia],” said the spokesperson.
Urgent patients had presented to the hospital’s emergency department requiring cardioversion and alternative avenues for treatment had been accessed for patients, according to the spokesperson. The hospital had organised procedures through Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, utilised National Treatment Purchase Fund processes to secure cardioversions in the Mater Private Hospital and also accessed procedures through Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown. However, the above measures have not facilitated all patients. Some are now waiting up to six months for the procedure, which is considered urgent for people with AF. Some 16 patients have been waiting for up to three months, while 12 patients have been forced to wait between three and six months. “Immediate plans” are afoot to resolve the issue and re-instate the cardioversion programme as soon as possible, said the hospital spokesperson. A start date of the week beginning 9 November has been identified. Dublin GP Dr Conor McGrane told this newspaper he had three patients waiting to undergo the procedure. “AF leads to a near trebling in the risk of stroke and double the risk for MI [myocardial infarction] every year if it is not treated.”
New GPs should be prepared for the practicalities and business aspects of running a practice, according...
There was almost a three-fold increase in the number of new post applications made to the.
The ICGP is examining alternative pathways for entry into general practice training as part of efforts...
In December, the HSE released part of an external review into the case of 'Brandon', a...
The evidence on doctor burnout “should scare us and concern us”, the Director of the RCSI...
A review of public health governance structures and addressing “longstanding” IT infrastructure...
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.