CALLS have been made for the Health Service Executive (HSE) to develop new research and education facilities at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH).
The call was made by Councillor Gerry McMonagle, who said expanding the facilities would have the potential to attract more trainees and increase LUH’s ability to attract and retain staff.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum West, he asked the HSE if there were any plans to develop such facilities.
In response, Dermot Monaghan, Integrated Health Area Manager, said there are currently no formal plans, but the matter could be reviewed under the Development Control Plan.
Cllr McMonagle said he was disappointed that there were no plans in place at the hospital but welcomed that the matter would be reviewed.
“To me this is a no-brainer, if we train and educate staff in the north west there is a bigger chance that they will stay in the north west and work in our local hospitals and health services.”
He pointed to Magee University in Derry, where they have increased funding for medicine students. He said that over 70 per cent of those who came through the programme last year stayed in the north west.
“We have the facilities for training and education but we need to get it into a more focused way.
“Our solution for the amount of vacancies we have within the hospital staff could be addressed by this in years to come if we put in the effort and have the vision to do that now.”
He said this would not just support the HSE but also the people of Donegal and the north west.
In response, Mr Monaghan said that, at present, it is not part of any rigorous plan, but it is included in the hospital’s broader development plan, which aims to increase infrastructure capacity.