The Health Minister says he is concerned at the high volume of people presenting at Letterkenny University Hospital’s Emergency Department.
The HSE’s Performance Management and Improvement Unit is to travel to the hospital this week.
Minister Stephen Donnelly says the specialist team will work closely with Letterkenny University Hospital management to focus on measures to improve patient experience.
The review is expected to address patient flow, triage, surge capacity, average length of stay and additional discharge opportunities.
Between January and September this year, over 40,000 people presented at the hospital’s ED, up 13% on the same period last year.
That figure is 38% higher than the national average for a Model 3 hospital like Letterkenny University Hospital.
Minister Donnelly will liaise with the HSE Specialist Team to ensure that everything is being done to ensure urgent and emergency care is delivered to those in need in a timely fashion.
He has also confirmed his intention to visit the hospital in the coming period.
A group of Donegal doctors refused to meet the Minister today until he travels to the county to see first-hand the issues at the hospital.
FULL STATEMENT:
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has confirmed that the HSE’s Performance Management and Improvement Unit is to travel to Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) this week to support the hospital team with ongoing improvements, and address challenges in the hospital and Emergency Department (ED).
Minister Donnelly said: “I want to ensure that Letterkenny University Hospital is serving the needs of patients and their families in Donegal. The specialist team will work closely with hospital management to focus on measures to improve the patient experience at LUH. This review will address issues such as patient flow, triage, surge capacity, average length of stay and additional discharge opportunities.”
There has been a significant increase in attendances at LUH this year. Between January and September, over 40,000 presentations were made at the Emergency Department. This is a 13% increase over the same period last year, and 25% above the same period in 2019. Attendance numbers at Letterkenny University Hospital are 38% higher than the national average for a Model 3 hospital.
Minister Donnelly added: “I’m concerned at the high level of presentations at the Emergency Department as we have expanded community care, more home support packages and nursing home supports. Increased funding has been provided for GP access to diagnostics, allowing patients avoid being sent to hospital for x-rays or scans. The ‘Pathfinder’ programme from the National Ambulance Service (NAS) has also been rolled out in Letterkenny since April of this year. This is designed to safely keep older people who phone 112/999 in their own home rather than taking them to a hospital Emergency Department. Improving outcomes for older people by providing safe, alternative care at home, rather than in hospital.”
LUH is a large, busy hospital and this Government has allocated significant resources in order to meet the needs of patients using the hospital.
This includes:
- €35 million additional budget – a 24% increase since 2019 (€143 million in 2019 to €178 million in 2023).
- Staffing at LUH has increased by over 20% since 2020.
- An additional 49 acute beds delivered in the hospital since January 2020.
- Expansion of gynaecology services.
- New acute stroke unit.
- New maternity theatre.
- Additional endoscopy theatre.
In addition, community services have been expanded, including:
- 90% of staffing in place for Community Care Programmes, which is well in excess of the national average.
- Eight Community Healthcare Networks are fully operational.
- Three new Primary Care Centres (PCCs) were opened in 2022, with an additional one currently under construction, bringing the total for Donegal to eight.
- The National Ambulance Service has had a 25% growth in staffing in the region in under three years.
- A Community Virtual Ward for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients has been established in Letterkenny.
The Minister for Health will liaise with the HSE Specialist Team to ensure that everything is being done to ensure urgent and emergency care is delivered to those in need of it in a timely fashion. The Minister has also confirmed his intention to visit the hospital in the coming period, following his visit there last November.
