Opening of new Cystic Fibrosis Unit welcome – Crowe

31 July 2012

Tallaght based Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe has welcomed the news that patients with cystic fibrosis will this week begin transferring to new purpose-built facilities at St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin. 

Describing the opening to the new €28 million ward block as “long overdue but very welcome,” Deputy Crowe said: “After a seven-year campaign by advocate groups who fought for improved services for patients with Cystic Fibrosis, we finally have a purpose built facility at St Vincent’s Hospital that will provide state of the art treatment for people with this potentially life-threatening condition.

“The €28 million investment in this purpose built facility will provide 20 inpatient single en-suite bedrooms for patients with cystic fibrosis and an additional 10 day beds. Hospital sources have also said the number of inpatient beds for cystic fibrosis patients could be increased to 34 if required.

“The new block at St Vincent’s Hospital, named the Nutley Wing, has five wards with 20 inpatient single, en-suite bedrooms housed over seven storeys. Twenty per cent of the beds on each of the wards will be isolation rooms with positive and negative air exchange. This is necessary to treat Cystic Fibrosis, a condition caused by a defective gene that means the body produces abnormally thick and sticky mucus that lodges in the airway and on the lungs.

Cystic Fibrosis sufferers are suceptible and open to infection and the isolation rooms will be a Godsend to patients allowing them to rest, recuperate and help build their immune system in an infection free environment.

“The new ward block will also provide specialist facilities for Cancer care, Infectious Diseases, Urology, and Haematology and all areas of the new ward block should be fully functional by the end of August.

“The development of these new facilities will be a significant improvement on the existing level of care currently available for Cystic Fibrosis patients in Ireland and I only hope that there will be sufficient inpatient beds available to treat all people with this condition whenever they require hospitalisation in single en-suite rooms.

“I wish to commend everyone who campaigned so hard to have this new facility opened and I know that it will make a massive difference to the lives of all those people who suffer from this condition and that need specialised care.”