HEALTH Minister James Reilly has dismissed fears that running Donegal’s healthcare system under a new trust from Galway will diminish the service – vowing more cooperation with the North.
Health services here in the county are already run from Galway via the HSE.
But Letterkenny General Hospital and Sligo Regional Hospital will become part of a new West/North West Hospital Group.
Dr Reilly told Pat Kenny on RTE’s Prime Time last night however that he was looking to hospitals in Enniskillen and Altnagelvin to help provide a new cross-Border healthcare system.
Pat Kenny questioned the Minister on the State’s one helicopter ambulance.
“If that helicopter is down in Bantry and I’m in Letterkenny and I’m in trouble that helicopter won’t be available to me,” said Kenny.
The Minister replied: “In cooperation with the North of Ireland who want to bring in their own ambulance service to cover Letterkenny and down into Donegal, our ambulance helicopter service and cover down south right to the tip of Cork.
“And that will allow for further synergies between Letterkenny, Altnagelvin, Sligo and Enniskillen to allow for 24/7 stenting for people who have a heart attack.
“With that service it will be possible to get people to that service within 90 minutes which is critical for the best outcomes.”
The Minister admitted that smaller hospitals would lose major and complicated services, and gain other specialities.
He said there was a lot of fragmentation and duplication in the hospital service at the moment and he said the new system would rectify this problem.
Mr Reilly reiterated that no acute hospital will close as a result of the reorganisation because he said the capacity in the system would not allow for this to happen.
He said that smaller hospitals were trying to produce and provide all level of services which he said was not safe and could not continue.
The interview has raised concerns in Letterkenny that some services will transfer to Derry – or even Galway.
Tags:
