Donegal County Councillor Gerry Mc Monagle says he is very disappointed with the response he has received from SAOLTA in relation to psychology services available to teenagers with Type 1 Diabetes.
Cllr Mc Monagle was responding to the answer he received from SAOLTA at this week’s Regional Health Forum West meeting in Galway to a question he posed.
The Letterkenny councillor asked, “What Psychology services are available at Letterkenny University Hospital for teenagers diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes?”
He said the answer he received is far from satisfactory.
“A spokesperson for SAOLTA at our meeting stated “That are no dedicated psychology Services available in either the Hospital or Community services for teenagers diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. The Hospital does refer patients to the community run psychology service. We understand that there are currently significant waiting times for this service.”
Councillor McMonagle said the reply is simply not good enough.
“With over one hundred children with Type 1 diabetes in the county and not to have a psychology service to support and help them come to terms with a potentially life-threatening illness is an awful indictment of where our health services are currently at.
“Entering your teenage years is a difficult enough time for our children but to have to cope with diabetes and not have professional support to help you is just not good enough.
“I will continue to raise this issue with SAOLTA until such times they make provision for a Psychologist in their next Operational Plan and to ensure that there is a budget made available to recruit a Phycologist to support teenagers with Type 1 Diabetes as a matter of urgency,” he fumed.
Tags: