SCHEDULED surgeries and out-patient appointments will be scaled up at Letterkenny University Hospital over the coming weeks following a drop in numbers of Covid-19 cases.
The majority of elective surgeries and out-patient appointments were cancelled late last year due to the significant surge in Covid-19 cases.
Mr Sean Murphy, General Manager, said the hospital remains in a ‘recovery phase’, but confirmed that services were being restored on a phased basis. In recent weeks, the most urgent patients have been prioritised, as well as some day theatre and day surgeries.
Mr Murphy said that next week marks 12 months since the first patient with Covid-19 was admitted to LUH.
“We’re all acutely aware of how devastating a disease it can be but, hopefully, with the vaccinations coming on stream we’ll be in a better position to manage things over the coming weeks and months.
“There’s still some Covid patients in the hospital. Staff have been under a lot of pressure and working long hours but the plan is to increase our lists over the next two to three weeks.
“Waiting lists over the last twelve months have grown and it’s something we need to address. Our objective is to add a few more lists to the schedule we’re currently running and we’re hoping that by the end of the month we’ll have a full schedule back in operation,” Mr Murphy said.
“It’s been a demanding twelve months but I think that time will show how successful Letterkenny has been during that period. Staff have every right to be proud of their efforts and I think that the people of the county will reap the benefits,” he added.
Before Christmas, LUH announced the largest recruitment campaign in the hospital’s history, seeking Consultants and non-consultant hospital doctors with posts also available across nursing specialities, midwifery, laboratory, radiology and pharmacy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy.
Over the coming months LUH in Donegal is to recruit up to 120 posts to support existing services and enable the development of new services.
Two wards
“We’ve built two wards in recent months while it took us five years before that to get a 20-bed ward open. Now we’ve an additional 39 beds – 16 of which are already open and recruitment is ongoing for the other 23.
“We also opened a maternity suite towards the end of last year – one that was built, but not funded, twenty years ago. Last week we increased the number of cases going through there.
“The services we provide to patients continue to develop at Letterkenny University Hospital, and the population we serve continues to increase.
“We have undergone huge infrastructural redevelopment over the last number of years with state of the art facilities across many of our services, including radiology and laboratory,” he added.
With additional staff and extra beds, Mr Murphy said that the future was bright for Letterkenny University Hospital.
“In the second half of this year we will see more beds and theatres than we’ve ever seen at Letterkenny University Hospital at any stage.
“That will help us tackle issues with waiting lists and other pressures.
“Today, we’ve just got word that we’ve got €185,000 to refurbish the Orthopaedics Ward – one of the oldest facilities in the hospital.
“It’s been a tough year but there have been positives too in terms of the hospital growing and developing through this pandemic,” Mr Murphy said.
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