Print PageBeaumont Hospital Welcomes Initiatives in HSE Service Plan
Wednesday December 18, 2013
Beaumont Hospital today welcomed the announcement by the HSE of a number of initiatives which will directly benefit patients:
- 3.22m for cochlear implants
- €2.92m for the Donor and Transplant Programme
- €10m targeted to packages which will assist delayed discharges
Cochlear Implant
The National Cochlear Implant Programme (NCIP) is located in Beaumont Hospital. The Hospital currently carries out cochlear implants on an annual basis divided equally between adults and children, with surgeries on children being carried out in both Beaumont Hospital and Temple Street Children’s Hospital.
Cochlear implants can provide access to sound for people with severe or profound hearing loss. The device is surgically implanted and when coupled to an external processor, can provide access to speech and everyday sounds to aid or improve communications abilities. Unlike hearing aids which amplify sound, cochlear implants can bypass the damaged part of the ear to directly stimulate the nerve endings within the cochlea.
The expansion of the programme will allow simultaneous (in both ears at the same time) bilateral cochlear implantation at the earliest opportunity and to a programme where patients who have already received one device can have the second implant.
Donor and Transplant Programme
Putting in place expertly trained staff who can work with donors and donor families is a critical part of the transplant infrastructure. When we have a good supply of donor organs, we produce excellent results for patients. Currently Ireland has a high percentage, 53%, of renal replacement therapy patients with functioning transplants compared with that of other European countries recorded as part of the European Renal Association report. This places us 6th out of 21 countries compared in the report. Today’s announcement will help us realise the potential to increase this rate of successful live and deceased donor transplants.
Earlier this year Beaumont was allocated additional funding for a phased expansion of the living donor programme which allowed for the creation of 30 new jobs, equipping and refurbishing the transplant ward and development of laboratory facilities to accommodate the expansion. Design of the new buildings will begin shortly and staff for the programme continue to be recruited. The additional theatre is due to open in early February 2014.
The Unit is Beaumont Hospital has performed close to 4000 kidney transplants over the last 40 years. By the end of November 2013 the transplant unit at Beaumont Hospital performed 173 kidney transplants.
Initiative to assist with delayed discharges
Because of its location and demographic profile of patients, Beaumont has an on-going difficulty with delayed discharges. To-day’s initiative is particularly welcome and Beaumont looks forward to working with the HSE and service providers in 2014 to deliver benefits to our patients.