It has come to light that the Cystic Fibrosis service at Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH) lacks in facility for the treatment of CF patients and as a result patients are moving to Dublin.

The Cystic Fibrosis was supposed to care for adults and children suffering from CF on a shared care basis with other specialists around the country. However, despite the appointment of a CF adult consultant, the service has not yet been expanded and the intake of new patients required to be treated safely is not in place.

It has also come to light that because of the inadequate consulting rooms, adults with CF cannot be examined even as out-patients. Therefore, a majority of adults with CF in the south east have to travel to specialist hospitals in Dublin or to Cork University Hospital as they are well equipped and have extended their capacity for the routine check-ups.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ireland (CFAI), Philip Watt, said that the staffing levels across multiple disciplines in adult CF care in WRH are inadequate.

As the patients are moving to Dublin for the treatment, it is believed that Dublin may also soon lack in bed as more and more number of CF patients are being added there regularly.