Calls intensify for urgent care facility and injury unit at Leitrim hospital

A campaign has begun to establish an urgent care centre with a minor injury clinic at Our Lady’s Hospital in Manorhamilton.

Cllr Felim Gurn, who sits on the Northwest Regional Health Forum, made a call at one of their meetings last month to establish an urgent care centre or injury clinic in Manorhamilton to alleviate pressure on the A&E Department at Sligo University Hospital. 

Aside from the A&E department in Sligo, the nearest injury unit is located at Roscommon University Hospital. This unit operates seven days a week, from 8am to 8pm.

At that meeting, it was confirmed by John Fitzmaurice, Integrated Health Area Manager for Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal and West Cavan, that there are no agreed plans to develop an injury unit or urgent care centre in Manorhamilton.

Cllr Gurn has since posted a video on Facebook calling for such plans to be progressed, which has surpassed 45,000 views.

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At April’s meeting of Manorhamilton Municipal District, he asked other councillors in the MD for their support in examining the advantages of Manorhamilton hospital as a location for an urgent care centre with a minor injury clinic to serve a catchment area of 12km to 15km across North Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal.

“When you have a facility like the hospital, with radiographers and an x-ray, it wouldn’t cost that much to set it up and take the pressure off the A&E in Sligo,” said Cllr Gurn. “It’s something that we have to fight for to get here.”

Cllr Gurn’s motion was unanimously supported by councillors in Manorhamilton MD. “This area would benefit greatly,” said Cllr James Gilmartin, who noted that many people playing football in Leitrim have had to travel to the injury clinic in Roscommon after matches. “The A&E in Sligo isn’t for that kind of thing,” he added.

Cllr Gurn confirmed he will be bringing a motion calling for the services to the next full meeting of Leitrim County Council and will speak to people on their experiences in wait times in Sligo A&E to build a case study of the need for an urgent care clinic in Manorhamilton.

“It would be essential that we have that service. You could be waiting for a whole day in Sligo or even overnight, not at the fault of the frontline staff,” commented Cllr Mary Bohan.

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Cllr Eddie Mitchell added, “It’s very important, we have great resources in Manorhamilton and if we don’t use it, we mightn’t have it.”