There have been claims that a commitment made during a meeting with HSE officials and public representatives regarding Letterkenny’s exclusion from a decision surrounding the location of a new surgical hub has been broken.
Donegal Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn says he and others were told that the decision to build the hub in Sligo would be reviewed and a follow-up meeting would be held in a few short weeks.
However, it emerged yesterday that the decision was approved by the HSE board and is to be sent to the Department of Health next week.
Deputy MacLochlainn told Greg Hughes on this morning’s Nine ’til Noon Show of his email exchanges with Tony Canavan, the Regional Executive Officer of the HSE West and Northwest:
The HSE says while plans for the implementation of a Surgical Hub in Sligo progress, separately the need to develop the infrastructure at Letterkenny University Hospital continues.
In a statement, the HSE says the planned ambulatory centre in Letterkenny would include all the additional surgical capacity being provided by the proposed surgical hubs being created elsewhere, such as theatres and treatment rooms for day surgery treatments as well as additional functionality and capacity to meet the needs of County Donegal in the form of additional ambulatory cancer capacity and additional diagnostic facilities.
It’s been confirmed that the hospital is currently working with HSE Capital & Estates to develop a business case for the development in line with capital approvals protocols.
Statement in full:
HSE West and North West has submitted a business case supporting the implementation of a North West Surgical Hub.
Within the business case a greenfield site owned by the HSE in Sligo has been identified as a potential development location for a hub.
If the business case is approved in due course, a feasibility and master planning study will also be undertaken to ensure the optimum development of the site for the hub and other future HSE facilities.
While we progress these plans, we have separately identified the need to develop the infrastructure at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH).
Surgical Hubs follow a set model for day case surgery and minor procedures. They each consist of two operating theatres and two minor procedure rooms for non-complex procedures. LUH requires a stand-alone facility to be developed on the campus which provides a greater level of services.
The planned ambulatory (non-inpatient) centre in LUH would include all of the additional surgical capacity being provided by the proposed surgical hubs being created elsewhere, such as theatres and treatment rooms for day surgery treatments.
However, the Ambulatory Centre would also provide additional functionality and capacity to meet the needs of County Donegal in the form of additional ambulatory cancer capacity (including a much larger Haematology Oncology Day unit, a new Breast Unit and Ambulatory Urology accommodation) as well as additional diagnostic facilities.
The hospital is currently working with HSE Capital & Estates to develop a business case for this development in line with the capital approvals protocols.
Work has already commenced on the clinical health planning study for LUH and this standalone facility will align with the strategic vision of the follow on Development Control Plan (DCP) for the campus.
The hospital will be making every effort to secure funding and progress this significant capital development on the LUH campus in as expedient a manner as possible.
For more information on surgical hubs please see here: https://scanner.topsec.com/?d=2120&r=show&u=https%3A%2F%2Fabout.hse.ie%2Fnews%2Fhse-surgical-hubs%2F&t=139a8bc3a979befa8c82e2d820f8c05ac2070486
