'We want to give our patients a voice'
"There is therefore a compelling strategic argument that Letterkenny services should be strongly supported at national level, with particular emphasis on equitable distribution of resources" - consultants
General practitioners are to stress to the health minister that an external review of Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) is essential.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will meet both GPs and consultants on Friday morning to discuss concerns they have raised over services at the hospital.
The meeting comes after 78 GPs and up to 30 consultants sent separate letters to the minister calling for urgent action at the hospital amid fears of a “service collapse”.
Dr Ciarán Ó Fearraigh, general practitioner at Millbrae Surgery Stranorlar, said GPs welcome the opportunity to meet with the minister.
As well as discussing the need to have an external review, the GPs have a number of other issues that they feel must be discussed - such as the immediate establishment of a medical assessment unit with dedicated care, ring-fenced beds and appropriate GP access, as well as improved access to outpatient clinics with the minister.
The Performance Management and Improvement Unit (PMIU) has this month begun a review of LUH. However, GPs feel an external review is needed due to the serious nature of their concerns. Dr Ó Fearraigh added that LUH is “chronically underfunded” when compared to other hospitals.
In 2022, LUH received €179,939 in funding while Sligo University Hospital (SUH) received €176,520. However, LUH had 25,922 inpatients in 2022, 10,306 more inpatients than SUH.
Therefore, the neighbouring hospitals were given almost identical funding despite the fact LUH was processing significantly more inpatients.
“It was almost the same amount of money but Letterkenny University Hospital is a far busier hospital,” Dr Ó Fearraigh said.
He added that recruitment and training are among the other issues that urgently need to be addressed, adding that while LUH has the biggest population service, it still depends on services from SUH.
Consultants come from Sligo to Letterkenny to hold day clinics in various areas. Dr Ó Fearraigh said there were long waiting lists for cardiology and orthopaedics in Letterkenny. Large numbers of Donegal patients have had to travel to the north for appointments under the National Treatment Purchase Fund, commonly in places like Belfast or Ballykelly.
“We want to give our patients a voice,” he said.
The follow-up letter, dated November 15, that consultants sent to the minister, requested a meeting as a matter of urgency.
They said they wish to discuss specific problems and solutions relating to services at the Letterkenny hospital, together with the budgetary and manpower causes that they feel underpin these problems in many respects.
“Again, we wish to emphasise that Letterkenny is quite isolated in terms of transport infrastructure. There are no alternative service providers within a reasonable distance from Letterkenny. There is therefore a compelling strategic argument that Letterkenny services should be strongly supported at national level, with particular emphasis on equitable distribution of resources.”
They say that “it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that there is a systematic maldistribution of hospital funding.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Pearse Doherty blamed the Government for underfunding the health service and causing a recruitment embargo.
He said: “In the first 10 months of this year, there have been 4,633 patients admitted to Letterkenny University Hospital without access to a bed. That’s a 400% increase in the last 10 years.”
Independent TD Thomas Pringle said the visit must lead to urgent actions that address the concerns of GPs and consultants.
“A meeting isn’t a solution," he said.
“It should be the start of finding a solution. I welcome the fact that Minister Donnelly is coming, and I understand he is going to meet some of the GPs and consultants who wrote to him while he’s here.
“Fair play to the GPs and consultants for holding out and pushing for the minister to come to Donegal.
“It’s important that he sees and hears first-hand some of the critical difficulties they face.
“There was a follow-up letter sent last week from consultants that outlined the deficits Letterkenny University Hospital faces and they need to be addressed urgently.”
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue added: “Significant concerns have been expressed by GPs in relation to the pressures on the Letterkenny University Hospital's Emergency Department, while concern has also been expressed by a number of consultants.
“Minister Donnelly is keen that the government responds to the concerns of the GPs and consultants, and as part of his visit he will be meeting with GP representatives, hospital staff representatives and hospital management. Minister Donnelly will also be briefed on the work to date of the PMIU.”
As part of his visit, Minister Donnelly will turn the sod on the new 110-bed community hospital in Letterkenny which will be located close to Letterkenny University Hospital on the opposite side of the road. This new facility is being built at a cost of €59 million.