Cystic fibrosis charity chief calls for independent expert to help resolve CUH bed

The head of a cystic fibrosis charity has called for the appointment of an independent expert to help resolve a row over bed designation for CF patients at a Cork hospital.

Philip Watt, chief executive of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, said any mediation process could consider the ring-fencing of some beds for CF patients.

Mr Watt’s intervention comes at a time when a second CF charity, Build4Life, is refusing to hand over funds raised for a new respiratory ward at Cork University Hospital. Build4Life is funding the entire cost of the 20-bed adult respiratory ward and raised €2.3m on the understanding that up to 10 beds would be ring-fenced for CF patients.

The Irish Examiner has seen documentation where the hospital repeatedly refers to circa 10 beds on the new ward being protected for CF patients. However, with the project now at build stage, that commitment has changed to “priority access” only. Because of the U-turn, Build4Life has refused to hand over the money.

Writing in today’s Irish Examiner, Mr Watt says that with “sufficient good will” it is possible to find middle ground “and for an agreement to be drawn up that will both ensure the availability of rooms for people with CF and will allow access to rooms when they are not needed for other patients”.

Mr Watt says such an arrangement is currently working at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin and a hotline between Cystic Fibrosis Ireland and the hospital has helped the process.

“In the new policy, two rooms are always kept free for emergency CF admissions,” Mr Watt says.

In addition, a committee that includes Cystic Fibrosis Ireland representation has been established to monitor the agreement on a regular basis.

In response, Joe Browne, founder of Build4Life, a Munster-based CF charity which has raised the money for these lifesaving facilities, said he did not object to the appointment of a moderator “but only when there is a basis for a meeting, ie, ring-fencing beds”. He rejected Mr Watt’s suggestion that the moderator needed to be an expert in CF.

Mr Browne meets today with Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch and Gerry O’Dwyer, HSE South regional director, to discuss bed ring-fencing.