A doubt has been cast over the reinstatement of chemotherapy referrals at Letterkenny University Hospital.
Minister Joe McHugh yesterday welcomed the arrival of a Locum Oncologist who started at the hospital on Monday despite fears that no cover would be provided until March.
But now Deputy Pearse Doherty has cast some doubt on the availability of the new Locum.
The Sinn Fein TD says he understood the service will not be continual for the entire period due to the very limited number of days for which the new Oncologist will be available.
Deputy Doherty said “I very much welcome the announcement this evening that chemotherapy services are once again accepting new patient referrals at Letterkenny hospital’s Oncology Department following their suspension some weeks’ ago.
“However, I understand that in spite of the impression which has been given that medical cover has been secured at the hospital for the intervening weeks between now and when the replacement locum is scheduled to start, this cover will not be continual for the duration mentioned, because the person providing this temporary cover has only been scheduled to work for a very limited number of days for some of the weeks in question.
“This means that patient cover will not be continuous, and severe service disruption will continue to be experienced by patients.”
But Deputy Doherty added that he thinks the overall move on providing an Oncologist is a positive move for the embattled medical facility.
“Notwithstanding this fact, I think that on the whole this is a positive development, and I have no doubt that my persistent interventions made to both the HSE and the Minister, combined with the huge outpouring of anger and grief from the public during the course of this debacle, together have ultimately led to today’s welcome news.
“There does however remain a number of questions which are outstanding in relation to the service but, more specifically, on the actions taken by authorities which may have prevented the service’s cessation in the first instance.
“This week I have tabled a number of questions to the Minister to query when the fifty one patients whom to date have been transferred to Galway will eventually be returned to Letterkenny in order to undergo the remainder of their chemotherapy treatments, and also if the patients who’ve been outsourced who may require radiotherapy will now be able to access treatment at the new radiotherapy unit in Altnagelvin.
“Furthermore, I have already written to the HSE seeking details through Freedom of Information of when the resignation of the Locum Consultant was formally communicated to hospital authorities, as answers are needed in relation to the amount of prior notice which the authorities had before this post became vacant, which led to the service’s suspension.
“Last month I gave a commitment to the countless families from across Donegal who came to me following the removal of this service that I would fight to get them the answers which they deserve as to why their loved ones were denied access to cancer treatment locally, and I remain resolute that I will continue to get to the truth to find out why this situation was allowed to happen in the first place.”
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