By Róise Collins
A LETTERKENNY councillor has called on the HSE and Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) to prioritise a business case for the development of a surgical hub in Donegal.
However, LUH General Manager Sean Murphy has expressed support for an alternative larger ambulatory (non-inpatient) care unit.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum, Cllr Gerry McMonagle warned that failing to secure the facility could further exacerbate challenges at the already overburdened hospital.
His comments follow a recent visit from Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, who confirmed that no final decision has yet been made regarding the location of a proposed surgical hub for the north west region.
Cllr McMonagle stressed the importance of equitable healthcare across the region and said both Sligo and Donegal should receive surgical hubs.
He said if a surgical hub for the north west is built in Sligo alone, it would act as a barrier to attracting doctors, consultants and specialist nurses to Letterkenny.
LUH General Manager Sean Murphy said he was fully in support of a surgical hub at the hospital but highlighted plans for an ambulatory care unit as a potentially even more beneficial project. He outlined that the proposed facility would include two day-surgery theatres and two minor operation procedure rooms, in addition to urology, endoscopy and haematology and oncology treatment services.
“This would provide a facility that would be larger than a surgical hub and would meet significantly more needs for the hospital,” Mr Murphy said.
However, Cllr McMonagle remained sceptical, arguing that the ambulatory care unit lacks the same structural and funding certainty as a surgical hub, which comes as a standardised and predesigned package.
“We are going out on a limb here. If we don’t get the funding and if it doesn’t work out, we’ve lost the surgical hub – which is part of a HSE-led project and will be delivered. Where are we then?” he asked.
“We should be pushing for the surgical hub and seeing if we can build on that.”
In response, Mr Murphy acknowledged the risks but maintained that an extended ambulatory care unit could bring greater long-term value to LUH, even if it comes with delays.
“This would be a superior project because it is far larger and greater,” he said.
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