Cystic fibrosis: Sufferers ‘dying 10 years too early’

CYSTIC fibrosis (CF) sufferers in the Republic are condemned to die 10 years earlier than their counterparts in the North due to government indifference, opposition parties claim.

Fine Gael health spokesman James Reilly described the situation as “scandalous” as he demanded greater urgency in helping the country’s 1,100 CF patients.

During a debate on the illness, mental healthcare and treatment of elderly people, he condemned lack of implementation of the three-year-old Pollock report into aiding CF sufferers who face a serious risk of a fatal cross-infection due to lack of isolation facilities.

“There are no dedicated adult or paediatric CF beds in the country and every time a patient waits in an accident and emergency unit or is treated in an open ward, he or she risks contracting a potentially life-threatening infection.

“Patients are getting sicker in hospital and are spending longer in recovery because they are being treated in dangerous facilities. This is why their life expectancy is ten years less than in Northern Ireland and Britain.

“The only way to improve mortality statistics for people with cystic fibrosis is to protect them from cross-infection by treating them in isolation facilities that minimise cross-infection from other patients.”

Mr Reilly said it was “appalling” only 14 isolation beds would be available by the summer — and that was due to pressure from CF sufferers going to the media.

“It is inexcusable that we have no specialist unit, that money allocated in 2006 and 2007 remains unspent, that proper homecare support to prevent hospitalisation is not available and that we have not made any high-frequency oscillating vests available to CF sufferers,” said Mr Reilly.

Junior minister with responsibility for disability and mental health Jimmy Devins hit back at critics saying €6.7 million had been invested since 2006 for the development of CF services nationally. He said TDs should welcome “the unprecedented level of funding being invested in mental health and commends the Government for the allocation of €51.2m since 2006”.

Labour health spokeswoman Jan O’Sullivan said 10% of health spending should go into the area of mental wellbeing.

“The only way the needs of that sector will be properly addressed is to ring-fence money in the health budget. The situation is shameful, particularly as children are in adult psychiatric wards because we do not have enough beds for them. There are 12 child and adolescent psychiatric beds in the whole country. We have been told the number will rise to 30, although the figure needed is 80,” she said.

Junior minister with special responsibility for older people, Máire Hoctor, told the Dáil over the past four years the Government had organised the largest ever expansion in services for older people, covering every area from new homecare supports, more home help, long-term care, palliative care and measures to counter elder abuse.