Almost 80 Donegal GPs have called on the Health Minister to take urgent action over dangerous delays at the emergency department at Letterkenny University Hospital.
A letter, signed by 78 local practitioners, said they fear for patients’ lives under the stretched system.
The hard-hitting letter to Minister Stephen Donnelly told how GPs’ ‘hearts sink’ when they have to send elderly patients to the ED due to the ordeal that is ahead of them.
“We have patients who are refusing to attend the emergency department because they would “rather take their chances” and stay at home,” they said.
In other cases, they report that patients are leaving the ED and going home, sometimes on the advice of stretched ED staff, as the wait time will be too long.
“We have huge concerns regarding patient safety here and feel like it is an incident waiting to happen,” the letter said.
The letter called for immediate support for staff at the emergency department, who the GPs said are “working under extreme pressure and in unsafe conditions.”
The main concern, they said, is not about the standard of care that patients are receiving, but is about the timely access to that care.
“We have met with hospital management at LUH but believe that the scale and speed of the progress of change at LUH is leading to our patients being placed at risk. We have huge patient safety concerns and while we do not take this decision lightly, we feel that the time has now come to highlight publically the current issues affecting our emergency department and acute services at LUH.”
The 78 GPs also highlighted the morbidity and mortality associated with leaving patients in waiting rooms for long periods of time untreated, or in ambulances at the door, or on trolleys awaiting admission.
The letter goes on to claim that target treatment times for sepsis and other conditions are frequently getting missed.
“In August, on at least one occasion that we know of, there was no ambulance available in the counties of Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim because they were all waiting for drop offs at LUH for hours. This was in August before the so-called “winter surge”. Our patients are at risk of death and we are no longer willing to stand by and watch while little meaningful change takes place.”
The group pointed out that Donegal is disadvantaged due to its location, but that patients here deserve the same access to timely healthcare that patients get elsewhere in the country.
“If we don’t get that access we will be encouraging and supporting our patients to take to the streets to demand it. “
The letter demands immediate intervention in two ways. The GPs are seeking a meeting with the Minister together with senior SAOLTA management to develop a roadmap to providing safer services for patients this winter.
“The obstacles we are hearing of from LUH management could easily be circumvented by the Department of Health and the Minister – but only if the will is there,” they said.
They are also calling for the appointment of an external review team to evaluate and provide solutions for the Emergency Department, including alternate access to acute services with GP input.
The GP group says that action must to taken by this winter, as current efforts to improve the system are taking too long.
“Minister we implore you to take action. We are in this job to advocate for our patients, if you are too, then please listen to our demand for support, before it is too late and more of our patients suffer adverse outcomes,” the letter concluded.
The General Practitioners of Donegal who signed the letter to the Minister are as follows:
In alphabetical order;
Dr Paul Armstrong Lifford
Dr Finnian Bannon Ark Medical, Letterkenny
Dr Catherine Blair Donegal Town
Dr Rachel Boner Millbrae, Stranorlar
Dr Mark Boyce Grove, Donegal Town
Dr Victoria Bradley Arranmore
Dr Sarah Brennan Carrigart
Dr Ryan Byrne Scally Medical, Letterkenny
Dr Heidy Campusano Donegal
Dr Ronan Cassidy Moville
Dr Eamonn Coyle Ark Medical, Letterkenny
Dr Martin Coyne Lifford
Dr Pallab Datta Ark Medical, Letterkenny
Dr Samantha Davis Falcarragh
Dr Johan Debruyn Gaoth Dobhair
Dr Tony Delap Gaoth Dobhair
Dr Sarah Doherty Inishowen Medical
Dr Thomas Downey Carndonagh
Dr Garrett Duffy Moville
Dr Jarlath Duffy Raphoe
Dr Eoin Dunphy Mountcharles
Dr Catherine Falls Carndonagh
Dr Dan Gill Falcarragh
Dr Angela Gilligan Ark Medical , Letterkenny
Dr Margaret Gilligan King Fanad Health, Tamney
Dr Magdalena Hall Donegal Town
Dr Ryan Hall Stranorlar
Dr Edward Harkin An Bun Beag
Dr Mark Hudson Letterkenny Doctors
Dr Beverly Huss Grove, Donegal Town
Dr Peter Kardos Donegal Town
Dr Jarlath Kelly Buncrana
Dr Sile Kelly Lifford
Dr David Khavia Ballyraine, Letterkenny
Dr Gerard Lannon Carrigart
Dr Dervla Loftus Stranorlar
Dr Leemol Mathew Buncrana
Dr Elizabeth Maxwell Milford
Dr Brian McColgan Letterkenny Doctors
Dr Shane McCool Scally Medical, Letterkenny
Dr James McDaid Scally Medical, Letterkenny
Dr Ann-Marie McElroy Moville
Dr Dara McEniff Dungloe
Dr Collette McFadden Lifford
Dr John McGeehan Letterkenny Doctors
Dr Padraig McGuinness Fanad Health, Tamney
Dr Ciara McHugh Stranorlar
Dr Marie Therese McKenna Lifford
Dr Meta McLaughlin Newtowncunningham
Dr Charlie McManus Lettermacaward
Dr Evelyn McManus Glenties
Dr Aidan McMenamin Moville
Dr Caroline McMonagle Lifford
Dr Magdalena Meges Stranorlar
Dr Janinda Muhandiramge Dunkineely
Dr Sally Mullen Stranorlar
Dr Síofra Nic an Bhreithiún Brook Medical, Malin
Dr Mona O’Boyle Milford
Dr Emma O’Doherty Donegal Town
Dr Ciarán Ó’Fearraigh Millbrae, Stranorlar
Dr Raghavan Paratian Ark Medical, Letterkenny
Dr Nikola Porter Buncrana
Dr Rajesh Rajpal Buncrana
Dr Supriya Rao Ballyraine, Letterkenny
Dr Ciaran Roarty Scally Medical, Letterkenny
Dr Dara Scally Scally Medical, Letterkenny
Dr John Sheerin Cloghan
Dr Kevinder Singh Letterkenny Doctors
Dr Sarah Smyth Falcarragh
Dr Ciara Steele Buncrana
Dr Rory Stewart Creeslough
Dr Mary Sweeney Milford
Dr Edit Tidrenczel Donegal
Dr Avril Travers Millbrae, Stranorlar
Dr Dolores Vigil Scally Medical, Letterkenny
Dr Leon Viljoen Millbrae, Sranorlar
Dr David Walsh Rathford, Milford
Dr Therese Wheatley O’Neill Derrybeg
