Minister hopeful new Cork ophthalmology unit will mean the end of 'Belfast or Blind' bus

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said he is hopeful that a new, state-of-the-art ophthalmology unit in Cork will “in the fullness of time” mean the end of the 'Belfast or Blind' bus.

Mr Martin was speaking after he had officially opened the new unit at Cork’s South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH) on Monday.

The new ophthalmology unit, designed to serve the growing needs of eye care patients in the Cork and Kerry region, is expected to serve 45,000 patients a year.

Monthly figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund show that in September there were 8,369 adults and 1,124 children waiting for ophthalmology appointments or procedures in Cork.

Mr Martin said the new facility will help to facilitate a reduction in waiting times for ophthalmology services.

The new unit is equipped with modernised facilities aimed at improving patient outcomes and enhancing the delivery of eye care services, providing specialised treatments, including advanced diagnostic and surgical procedures, and ensuring the highest level of care for patients.

Mr Martin said the new state-of-the-art facility and expanded services represent "a significant leap forward in our ability to deliver comprehensive ophthalmic care for people living in the Cork and Kerry region".

“This development helps further the Government’s goal to enhance patient experience and accessibility to specialised treatments.

“Patients will benefit from improved access, reduced wait times, and the convenience of having all essential services in one location," he said.  

Numbers 'encouraging'

Mr Martin was asked if the new development would mean the end of the 'Belfast or Blind' bus, which has since 2017 made over 150 trips north of the border, bringing patients to a private hospital for life-changing cataract surgery.

The service was started by Cork South West TD and Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins and Independent Kerry TD Danny Healy Rae, and prior to Brexit the cost of treatment in Belfast was originally reimbursed via the EU Cross Border Directive on Healthcare.

Mr Martin said he was hopeful that the new Cork unit would mean the service was no longer needed.

“The numbers are encouraging there now in terms of this facility, it’s really getting higher throughput and the waiting times are reducing, they need to reduce more and we need to make sure that we realise the capacity that the second theatre here provides for us.

“Staff has doubled here in terms of nursing and so on, which will facilitate reduction in waiting times,” he added.

Enhanced capacity 

Helen Donovan, CEO of the SIVUH, said the opening of the ophthalmology unit provided a platform to meet the needs of the region.

She said the hospital expected to care for approximately 45,000 patients a year, with the ophthalmology outpatient department catering for 26,738 patients, the ophthalmology emergency department seeing 11,548 per year, and ophthalmology inpatient and day cases seeing 6,494 per year.

“This enhanced capacity which will be delivered in our state-of-the-art building will be a vital asset for the future,” she said.

Professor John R Higgins, CEO of the South/South West Hospital Group, said that centralising ophthalmology services at the SIVUH, would enhance the quality and accessibility of care for patients.

“The opening of this new facility is a testament to our commitment to continually improving patient outcomes and delivering top-tier healthcare services,” he said.

“The new ophthalmology unit offers an increase in clinical space and includes advanced amenities such as laser rooms, consulting rooms, a corneal topography room, and an electrophysiology room for treatments previously requiring travel to Dublin.”