Over 1,000 appointments were cancelled at Letterkenny University Hospital in the first four months of this year, new figures show.
Issues hospital have been described as “spiralling out of control” by Sinn Féin TD for Donegal, Pearse Doherty, who has called for urgent action from the government.
In March 2023, patients at LUH waited an average of 11 hours to be admitted to the hospital from the emergency department, with patients over the age of 75 waiting for more than 15 hours to be admitted.
Deputy Doherty has said that Government TD Charlie McConalogue ‘cannot stand idly by’ amid record waiting lists, record waiting times and record cancellations.
Teachta Doherty said: “In the first three months of this year, 638 registered patients left the Emergency Department before being admitted, compared to 331 in the same period in 2019.
“Record hospital cancellations show that the government’s answer to health service chaos is shifting the burden from one area to another without solving any of the problems.
“This is not a solution to the deepening crisis in our health service, which is at breaking point.
“The trolley scandal which Fine Gael pledged to end is now worse than ever. It has become a year-round threat to patient safety.
“In Letterkenny University Hospital, 513 patients were admitted without a hospital bed in April, up from 255 last year.”
Deputy Doherty said that a serious multi-annual capacity plan, backed up by strategic workforce planning, is needed to tackle the trolley crisis. A further 1,000 more hospital beds are needed, he said.
Deputy Doherty added: “The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has said he will produce a new plan for 1,500 beds over the next few years. This doesn’t come close to cutting the mustard – we need a plan for 2,500 beds according to ESRI estimates.
“The government has no plan to train the health workers we need to safely staff the health service.
“The health service can be fixed but it needs a government and minister with the political will to do so. I call on all TDs to back our solutions to tackle this crisis.
“A Sinn Féin government would drive reform, increase bed capacity, hold the health service accountable, and train and retain the healthcare workers we need to safely staff the health service.”
