New Lifford Community Hospital facility a step closer says Cllr Gerry Crawford

The project to establish a new community hospital facility in Lifford continues to move forward and local councillor Gerry Crawford has expressed confidence that there is now a general acceptance that such a facility will have a big role to play in the area in the future.

The councillor said he was recently informed by the HSE that it had submitted its formal application for approval of the project on the new site at Lifford Common on the Letterkenny Road which had recently been agreed upon with Donegal County Council and expected formal approval sometime in late May/early June.

He said the development would see a 25-bed community nursing unit and a Primary Care Centre with 177 car parking spaces.

"The council and the HSE are working hand in hand on this project. I have been making representations almost every week and now I'm delighted to hear that it has advanced to this stage. This is another part of the ongoing process and a welcome one because up until last year, the future of the hospital was in doubt. It now seems the HSE are fully committed judging by the very positive indications I have received from them in recent times."

He added he would be raising the matter again at next Tuesday's Regional Health Forum West meeting in Galway where he would be seeking a progress report on the matter.

He said the new facilities would be welcomed throughout east Donegal and beyond as not only did the facility have a history of providing much-needed medical outlet it also catered for an elderly and vulnerable population in their own environment not to mention its role in creating full and part-time employment in this area.

Cllr Crawford said he was also of the opinion that the recent Covid crisis provided the push the HSE needed to realise how valuable all community hospitals were.

"We saw what happens when a crisis like that hits. Community hospitals helped ease the burden experienced by the bigger hospital facilities. This will be important going forward and places like Lifford will also be able to be used as a step-down facility to reduce the log jam currently being experienced in the major hospitals."

He pointed out that the old hospital in Lifford had a long tradition stretching back to the late 1700s of serving the local community and at one time was the primary centre for care in the county. 

Cllr Crawford also urged the community to go along to the Friends of Lifford Hospital annual general meeting to be held next Tuesday, May 23 in the Old Courthouse at 7pm and praised the work this committee had done over the years to ensure the facility remained in the spotlight.

"They have worked tirelessly over the years for the same outcome," he added.