Donegal doctors seek meeting over surgical hub decision
More than 170 doctors based in Donegal have sent a joint letter to the Minister for Health demanding an urgent meeting over the HSE's plans to overlook Letterkenny as the location for a planned surgical hub in the north west.
Concerned consultants and senior doctors at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH), as well as GPs across Donegal, sought the meeting with Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to address what they describe as a "critical threat to patient care and health equality in the north west".
Regional HSE management has identified a site in Sligo as the sole preferred option for a new surgical hub in the region - a decision Donegal-based clinicians have called "flawed, unjustified, and deeply damaging".
Dr Padraig McGuinness, who is a GP based on the Fanad Peninsula, said the decision to overlook LUH "ignores both population need and geographic logic".
"Many of our patients would face round trips of five hours or more to access elective surgical care in Sligo. That's unacceptable and dangerous," Dr Mc Guinness said.
The clinicians' letter, seen by RTÉ News, said they "are ready to present data showing that LUH is a more appropriate and equitable location".
They said if LUH were chosen as the base, "no patient from Donegal, Sligo, or Leitrim would be more than 90 minutes from a surgical hub".
The clinicians referenced the Department of Health's aims to ensure equitable access to elective care across the country by developing surgical hubs.
They said: "To bypass LUH in this decision would be to disregard this equity objective and perpetuate health inequality on a profound scale".
The clinicians letter said the National Cancer Registry Ireland report showed Donegal had the highest deprivation index and a higher incidence and a later presentation of all cancers, with a significantly poorer five-year survival.
Consultant in Intensive Care and Anaesthetics at LUH Dr Louise Moran said: "Patients in Donegal already face some of the worst cancer survival rates in the country due to late presentation and access issues.
"To bypass Letterkenny again is not only medically indefensible - it's a direct hit on patient safety and regional equality".
The clinicians are seeking an urgent meeting with Minister MacNeill as well as an independent review of the HSE's rationale for selecting SUH over LUH and a moratorium on a final decision regarding the hub's location until "an evidence-based comparison is completed".
A spokesperson for the minister told RTÉ News she has not received the business case from the HSE for the location of the surgical hub for the north west.
The spokesperson said Minister Carroll MacNeill thanked the team at Letterkenny University Hospital for taking the time to speak with her during visit last month and she looks forward to engaging with them again in the coming weeks.
What is the HSE surgical hubs strategy?
Over the next two years, the HSE plans to open six surgical hubs nationwide to reduce patient waiting times.
A surgical hub will consist of four theatres with capacity to deliver 10,000-day case procedures and 18,500 outpatient consultations annually.
The first surgical hub officially opened in south Dublin under the governance of St James's Hospital in February.
Within the next two years the HSE plans to open five further surgical hubs in north Dublin, Galway, Cork Waterford and Limerick.
It is hoped hospitals will have greater capacity for patients who require emergency and complex care when day case procedures are treated in the surgical hubs.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to explore the provision of an additional surgical hub in the north west.
In a statement, the HSE West and North West said it has prepared a business case supporting the implementation of a North West Surgical Hub.
Within that business case a greenfield site owned by the HSE in Sligo has been identified as a potential development location for a hub.
A feasibility and master planning study will also be undertaken if the business case is approved.
Last month, consultants at Sligo University Hospital told RTÉ News the hospital's orthopaedic operating theatre was no longer fit for purpose and patient safety was being compromised following leakages which disrupted the provision surgery.
After cutting the sod on a planned 42-bed unit at SUH, the Minister for Health said the issued simply had "to be resolved".
At the time, HSE Regional Executive Officer Tony Canavan said they had "prepared a proposal to develop a surgical hub for the northwest, based in Sligo".
Ambulatory Centre planned for Letterkenny
A spokesperson for HSE West and North West said that LUH requires a stand-alone facility which provides a greater level of services.
They said an Ambulatory (non-inpatient) Centre is planned for LUH that would include "all the additional surgical capacity being provided by the proposed surgical hubs being created elsewhere, such as theatres and treatment rooms for day surgery treatments".
"the Ambulatory Centre would also provide additional functionality and capacity to meet the needs of County Donegal in the form of additional ambulatory cancer capacity as well as additional diagnostic facilities".
The HSE said the hospital is currently working with HSE Capital & Estates to develop a business case for this development.
They added LUH will be making every effort to secure funding and to progress it "in as expedient a manner as possible".
Fear proposal 'being used to deflect'
In their letter to the Minister for Health, Donegal-based clinicians said while any investment in LUH is welcome, they felt the ambulatory centre proposal "lacks the ring-fenced funding, defined scope, staffing allocations, and delivery timeline associated with the surgical hub model".
They fear the ambulatory care centre proposal was "being used to deflect from the pressing need for LUH to be considered equitably in the current surgical hub decision".
LUH Consultant General Surgeon Mr Michael Sugrue said they need real surgical infrastructure was required in Letterkenny - "not vague promises".
Mr Sugrue said without adequate surgical resources they cannot attract or retain the consultants needed.
"This decision risks the future of general surgery in Donegal and the long-term viability of LUH as a Model 3 hospital," he added.
The clinicians' letter to the Minister for Health urged her to await the findings of Mr Michael Sugrue's forthcoming Letterkenny University Hospital Model 3 Clinical Care Report and Plan.
They said the report would further support their position including statistics detailed funding disparities between LUH and other hospitals.
Calls for equitable access to elective care
The clinicians' letter said LUH has the "longest waiting times when compared to other model 3 hospitals".
The clinicians previously wrote to the minister on 28 April regarding the future of surgical services at Letterkenny University Hospital.
In the letter sent to Minister Carroll MacNeill yesterday, the clinicians said a delegation remains available to meet in Donegal or Dublin.
They reiterated call for equitable access to elective care for all. Dr McGuinness said the matter "isn't just about a building or a budget line".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
BreastCheck may be extended to younger and older women in plans under examination
Currently, it covers women aged 50 to 69 years and invites them for screening. Independent TD for Offaly, Deputy Carol Nolan, asked health minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, if the programme could be broadened to women over 70. In response, the minister said that the Programme for Government commits to raising the age for the BreastCheck screening programme in line with updated standards from HIQA and work will shortly begin to establish whether the current age range should be extended. 'I am intent on advancing the cancer screening commitments outlined in the Programme for Government, which will be facilitated through established protocols. The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) is the independent expert group that considers proposed changes to Ireland's screening programmes. 'NSAC assesses the evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria, before making recommendations to myself as Minister for Health. 'The rigorous processes utilised by NSAC are critical to ensure that our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms,' Minister Carroll MacNeill said. She told Deputy Nolan: "In this regard, I am pleased to report that NSAC is progressing work to consider the further expansion of our cancer screening programmes and has submitted a request to the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), which has a section dedicated to undertaking evidence synthesises on behalf of the committee, to assess the evidence for a proposed expansion to the age range eligibility of the BreastCheck programme to include those aged 45 to 49 years and those aged 70 to 74 years. 'I should highlight that Hiqa is currently focused on the conclusion of two Health Technology Assessment (HTA) processes to examine a proposed age-range expansion to the BowelScreen programme and the potential development of a screening programme for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA). 'The evidence review for the expansion of BreastCheck remains a key priority for NSAC and is expected to commence later this year. ' She added that it would involve the assessment of relevant evidence and knowledge on the effects and consequences of healthcare technologies to guide decisions regarding the appropriate use of technology and efficient allocation of technology assessments are time-intensive and rigorous processes, she added.
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
FASD in Ireland – ‘We were in the silly scenario where some GPs were telling women it's safe to drink through pregnancy'
Despite one in ten babies born with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Ireland is one of the only developed countries in the world that does not recognise the condition as a disability Ireland remains the only developed country in the world to not recognised Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) as a disability, and not without lack of trying. Clare-based Tristan Casson-Rennie is the CEO and founder of FASD Ireland, a not-for-profit social enterprise founded in September of 2021.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
‘Simple and straightforward': The €4,500 naming of the National Children's Hospital Ireland
This week it was announced that the long-awaited new children's hospital will be called ... the National Children's Hospital Ireland. Okay, that's not exactly original, is it? According to a statement from the Department of Health , the name was chosen as it reflects 'the vision of the new hospital being a hub in a national network of paediatric care'. The hospital, which has been beset by delays and will cost €2.24 billion, will work with regional and local paediatric units to ensure equitable access to healthcare for all children. This process was done through engagement with 'stakeholders', including the youth advisory council, the department said. READ MORE According to Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill , it was important to ensure the name was simple and straightforward – so worried parents would end up exactly where they want to go, regardless of any potential language barriers. [ 'We have planned everything:' Inside the new national children's hospital Opens in new window ] How much did the naming process cost? Some €4,500, according to the Department of Health. But wait, wasn't that always the name? You would be forgiven for thinking that given the way people refer to the healthcare centre as simply the new children's hospital. But, in fact, it has been unnamed until now. Carroll MacNeill has acknowledged most people are likely to continue calling it the children's hospital – as they do now. [ National children's hospital: Completion delayed until at least September Opens in new window ] Were there issues with naming the hospital previously? There was a bit of a drama around the name of the hospital in 2017. In October of that year, the then minister for health Simon Harris announced the hospital would be known as Phoenix Children's Hospital Ireland. However, Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona warned Harris it would be compelled to take legal action if the new national children's hospital in Dublin went ahead with plans to use a similar name. He subsequently said there would be a rethink about the name. Were there other names put forward? According to the department, there were 17 names in the mix. The most vocal campaign was for the hospital to be named after Kathleen Lynn – a doctor and political activist who was involved in both the 1913 Lockout and the 1916 Easter Rising. An online campaign, which amassed just under 6,000 signatures, said: 'Dr Lynn was an incredible woman, revolutionary and role model. She did so much to improve the lives of children in Ireland and she deserves to be recognised. Nothing would be more fitting than a children's hospital named in her honour.' So will there be any mention of Dr Lynn in the new hospital? Carroll MacNeill has said she would like to name something within the facility after her, such as a wing or auditorium.
