Fianna Fáil Cork North West TD Aindrias Moynihan has called on the HSE to speed up the appointment a full-time paediatric endocrinologist to Cork University Hospital (CUH) to ensure diabetic children can get regular access to appointments, as well as peace of mind for their parents.
He commented, “There has been a full-time post for a paediatric endocrinologist vacant in CUH since 2018. While there was an appointment of a locum consultant earlier this year, the waiting lists are reducing at a very slow rate.
“For example, in January 2018 the waiting list for paediatric endocrinology was 94. By February 2019, after the previous consultant had left this increased to 229. Even by the end of June, with the locum in place the list has only fallen to 179 patients, or by about 10 patients per month on average.
“For type 1 diabetics regular appointments with a consultant are a key part of a good care plan, and ultimately good health. Those using this service need a permanent full-time person in place as soon as possible, to give better access to their children.
“Parents with diabetic children want the peace of mind which comes from good care for their children. The best way to do this is to speed up the appointment of the consultant” concluded Moynihan.
