HSE provide update on acute services at Letterkenny University Hospital

Letterkenny University Hospital, with the support of the regional HSE, has been progressing an ambitious infrastructure strategy that will deliver improved Urgent and Emergency Care, Surgical, Cancer and Women and Children’s services for the population of Donegal.

Pat the Cope Gallagher has obtained an update from the HSE relating to acute hospital services in Letterkenny University Hospital.

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The following four key major projects have been identified and will be progressed through the Capital Approvals Process to ensure that all patients in the northwest have timely access to high-quality acute care development of Surgical Hub and the Ambulatory Cancer Centre; Development of new ward block to provide 72 additional beds; Electrical Infrastructural Upgrade Works and completion of the Health Planning and LUH campus Development Control Plan (DPC)

The hospital and IHA fully recognise the need to put in place short to medium term measures to both deliver an appropriate Critical Care Facility (ICU & HDU) at LUH and also to address the physical capacity constraints of the Emergency Department.

Work will continue in parallel with the delivery of the above priorities to identify and implement solutions for both these service requirements on an interim basis pending the long-term Hospital campus development determined DPC.

Currently, health planning experts (Price Waterhouse Cooper) are carrying out an over-arching study to map out the future healthcare profile of our hospital and our region. Staff engagement is crucial to this process, and a number of user engagement sessions with PWC are planned for November.

The output of the health planning study will inform a new Development Control Plan (DCP) for the campus. Their goal is to design and deliver the best possible infrastructure for LUH, which will serve Donegal’s population into the coming decades.

A Capital Programme Oversight Board has been established to guide the direction of this significant body of work and the first meeting took place in early October. A number of sub-committees have been set up to focus on key deliverables associated with the programme.

Work is underway to finalise the design brief, including the schedule of accommodation. Once complete, a tendering process will be undertaken to establish a major design team procurement framework for the HSE West and Northwest region. It is anticipated that the tendering process will commence over the coming weeks and the aim is to have a design team appointed and commence the design phase in January 2026.

The plan to develop new and progressive facilities which are driven by health technology will have a positive impact for not just patients but also for staff. Through this work the HSE are aiming to create a best-in-class workplace and health service staff are key stakeholders in this project.

As a management team they are committed to supporting their staff on this journey which will be transformational for both LUH and for the population of the northwest.