Donegal Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn has appealed to the Minister for Health, Simon Harris to intervene and ensure that the HSE appoint an immediate replacement for the departing Pediatric Endocrinologist Consultant at Sligo University Hospital, Dr Orla Neylon.
The loss of Dr Neylon’s position will mean the loss of the monthly outreach pump therapy clinic at Letterkenny University Hospital and is a major blow to supporting the over 160 children across Donegal living with diabetes type 1.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said “Today in the Seanad, I raised my serious concerns about this development and the fact that unless this is resolved, children with type 1 diabetes in Donegal will have to travel to Sligo or even Dublin for their pump therapy clinics.
For years now, parents in Donegal have fought for the same diabetes care treatment for their children as is in place elsewhere across the State. Their campaign has led to significant advances in pediatric diabetes care in Donegal but this news of Dr Neylon’s departure and the failure to replace her is a serious setback.”
This news is also a serious setback for the campaign of the Donegal Diabetes Association who met with Minister Harris last December to put to him their demand for an additional full Endocrinologist team at Letterkenny University Hospital.
Currently there is a 21 month waiting list for adults with type 1 diabetes in Donegal to have a repeat appointment with a consultant.
Senator Mac Lochlainn added “This is truly scandalous, considering the well-documented necessity for ongoing care like pump therapy for diabetes patients to prevent serious conditions down the line”
“Here in Donegal, it is estimated that we have half of the health service professionals working in the area of diabetes care that we would require based on the 700 adults and children in the county living with type 1 diabetes and the 6,000 adults and children living with type 2 diabetes.
“Minister Harris is well aware of this real crisis and I have today written to him, appealing to him to not only intervene in terms of the need for the HSE to appoint an immediate replacement for the departing Pediatric Endocrinologist Consultant at Sligo University Hospital but also the need for him to meet with a delegation from Donegal Diabetes Association to outline his plan to address their serious and ongoing concerns”.
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