THE HSE Chief Officer for the North West has acknowledged the concerns that have emerged following proposals which may see the role of some community hospitals in Donegal changing in the coming years.
However, Mr John Hayes believes these concerns will be addressed and in five years time we will have increased bed capacity and secured the necessary HIQA registration for all community hospitals in Donegal which assures their future.
The HSE has come under fire over the past fortnight ever since concerns weer raised about the futures of nursing units in Ramelton, Lifford and St Jospeh’s (Stranorlar)
“The recently announced capital investment programme and emerging changes to standards which allows for registration of four bedded wards for long term nursing care will facilitate continued registration with HIQA. In particular all patients in our community hospitals will continue to be cared for in those facilities. Patients in long term care will not be moved to other units.
While the investment programme will not solve all issues it is very welcome and should be seen as the first phase of a major investment in community hospitals,” Mr Hayes said.
The investment programme over the next five years within Donegal provides:

1. A new 130 bed Community Nursing Unit/Hospital to include a dementia specific service. This will be in delivered via a public/private partnership on a site at Kilmacrennan Road near St Conals and Letterkenny University Hospital to be completed by 2021. This will have significant benefits to LUH providing step down beds and long term care. This will represent an investment of €22.75M.

2. A replacement unit for the existing Sheil hospital and Rock Nursing home in Ballyshannon providing an 80 bed community hospital. This will represent an investment of €17.4M

3. Funding has also been provided to upgrade other facilities in the county as follows.
· Carndonagh Community Hospital €2.6M

· Buncrana Community Nursing Unit €2.97M

· Killybegs Community Hospital €440,000

· Falcarragh Community Hospital €2.82 M

· Dungloe Community Hospital €2.61M

“The development of a community hospital/nursing unit in Letterkenny is particularly welcome. It will provide capacity to cater for the increasing needs of community nursing beds and will integrate and support care needs with LUH.
“The HSE Donegal have agreed with HIQA that the 20 bed community hospital in Lifford, which includes three long stay beds, will continue to function as a short stay facility.
“Ramelton Nursing Unit is registered with HIQA and will continue to function as normal. The HSE is currently awaiting confirmation of registration of St Joseph’s Hospital in Stranorlar. This is expected shortly.
“In the long term we need to provide supports to maintain people at home for as long as possible in keeping with their wishes. We have a duty to comply with HIQA residential care standards while maximising current capacity to ensure short term care and respite beds are protected and utilised to support rehabilitation. We will continue to seek funding and support for additional capacity until the new builds are complete. Nevertheless an investment programme in excess of €50 million over the next five years is a significant achievement” Mr Hayes said.