GBP7m bill for Ulster heart ops in England and Dublin

"Around GBP7 million has been spent sending Northern Ireland cardiac patients for surgery outside the region in the past year due to a lack of local capacity, a medical charity said today. Nearly a third of procedures (440 of 1,430) had to be carried out in England or the Republic, according to Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke. While the cardiac specialists at the Royal Victoria Hospital are on track to meet their target of 1,000 heart operations in the financial year (they had completed 990 by the end of March), the charity said more government funding was needed to ensure all surgery is done locally. Each operation in Dublin costs Stormont's Department of Health GBP17,000, with procedures in London priced at GBP14,000, said Andrew Dougal, chief executive of NICHS. He said it would be more cost-effective to spend the money increasing capacity at the Royal" - Belfast Telegraph