This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25290009
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Children's heart surgery: Edwin Poots to announce plans in assembly | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| NI Health Minister Edwin Poots is expected to announce his plans for the future of children's heart surgery in Belfast to the assembly on Monday. | |
| Families of critically ill children awaiting surgery said they have been left in limbo because of the delay. | Families of critically ill children awaiting surgery said they have been left in limbo because of the delay. |
| The most favourable option is to create an all-island network. | The most favourable option is to create an all-island network. |
| It would see Belfast and Dublin working together to provide a first class, but more convenient, service for families living in Northern Ireland. | It would see Belfast and Dublin working together to provide a first class, but more convenient, service for families living in Northern Ireland. |
| Health officials from both sides of the border have spent months attempting to reach a solution. | Health officials from both sides of the border have spent months attempting to reach a solution. |
| The timing is now critical as Belfast's lead surgeon Prof Freddie Woods retires on Monday. | The timing is now critical as Belfast's lead surgeon Prof Freddie Woods retires on Monday. |
| Deadlock | Deadlock |
| That means there will only be one remaining paediatric surgeon at the Clark Clinic in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. | That means there will only be one remaining paediatric surgeon at the Clark Clinic in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children. |
| Therefore, Belfast would be relying on surgeons from Dublin to keep the surgical unit in Belfast open. | Therefore, Belfast would be relying on surgeons from Dublin to keep the surgical unit in Belfast open. |
| Local health officials have been trying to break the deadlock by devising a rota that would include the names of surgeons who work at Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Dublin. | Local health officials have been trying to break the deadlock by devising a rota that would include the names of surgeons who work at Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Dublin. |
| For that to happen surgeons from Dublin would have to agree to travel to Belfast at least one day a week. | For that to happen surgeons from Dublin would have to agree to travel to Belfast at least one day a week. |
| Talks have gone down to the wire, with mounting pressure on Mr Poots to announce his decision to the assembly. | Talks have gone down to the wire, with mounting pressure on Mr Poots to announce his decision to the assembly. |
| Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Robin Swann MLA said he believed the announcement would be more of an update than a decision. | Speaking on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Robin Swann MLA said he believed the announcement would be more of an update than a decision. |
| Ideal solution | Ideal solution |
| Mr Swann's 10-month-old son recently returned from Birmingham where he received heart surgery. | Mr Swann's 10-month-old son recently returned from Birmingham where he received heart surgery. |
| He said that an all-Ireland dual-site approach to surgery would be the ideal solution. | He said that an all-Ireland dual-site approach to surgery would be the ideal solution. |
| As previously reported by the BBC, an American cardiologist, who runs a twin centre in Boston, may act as an advisor on how a similar model could operate between Belfast and Dublin. | As previously reported by the BBC, an American cardiologist, who runs a twin centre in Boston, may act as an advisor on how a similar model could operate between Belfast and Dublin. |
| If that is the case the health minister may need more time - something he will say is necessary if he is to achieve the ultimate goal of an all-Ireland children's cardiac service. | If that is the case the health minister may need more time - something he will say is necessary if he is to achieve the ultimate goal of an all-Ireland children's cardiac service. |