Concern raised over stroke victims 'being diverted to Kilkenny'

Concern has been raised in the Dáil on the issue of stroke victims in Laois, Carlow, north Tipperary and Kildare purportedly being diverted to Kilkenny.

Deputy Brian Stanley, TD for Laois-Offaly, raised the issue in a question directed at An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and the Minister for Health.

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"The question I have is regarding stroke victims in Laois, Carlow, north Tipperary and Kildare, who appear to be left with a very precarious service since the stroke unit closed in Naas hospital," he said.

"People coming to Portlaoise hospital with strokes were being sent to Naas but in the past month or so that has stopped. Apparently there is a very precarious service at the moment.

"The expectation was that Tallaght would take them but apparently Tallaght is not obliged to because it is a voluntary hospital. Patients are being diverted to Kilkenny, which is in a different hospital group, which itself is problematic.

"There is no certainty for those patients. It is a serious situation. As a doctor, the Taoiseach will know that they need to be seen in a specialist stroke unit within the first four hours."

The Taoiseach called upon the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, to address the question posed by Deputy Stanley.

"If there are specific service-level issues such as those the Deputy has raised, he might send me a note and I will get him a response," Donnelly said.

"The Deputy will be aware that we are investing in stroke care. We have rolled out the first national stroke strategy this year.

"There is a lot more money going in, both in terms of the acute services and the very quick responses, which are making a huge difference to patients' recovery, and also in community rehab including neurorehabilitation teams.

"It is growing but if there are specific local issues I ask the Deputy to let me know."