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Floating SectionHealthLead StoriesLifestyleNews

Donegal surgeon – “If you don’t have cancer, the health service isn’t really interested”

written by Stephen Maguire March 19, 2018
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A leading Donegal-based surgeon has said the Government and HSE do not “give a damn” about patients being in pain.

Orthopaedic surgeon Peter O’Rourke, who is based at Letterkenny University Hospital, says he now has 130 patients waiting desperately for surgery.

However, because of the hospital emergency escalation plan, many have surgeries cancelled to free beds and ease the A&E crisis.

Dr O’Rourke says he regularly goes home early because he has nothing to do because he cannot operate.

He said “The whole thing is a mess and the so-called ‘solutions’ that Simon Harris is coming up with are making it worse.

“There isn’t an A&E crisis: there’s a crisis in getting people out of A&E. For too long, the health service has pumped money into getting more staff into the emergency departments.

“They should be really spending funds on providing beds for them to move on to after they leave A&E. I have elderly patients suffering and there’s nothing I can do about it. There are no beds for them.

“I operated yesterday on a patient who’s been waiting two years for their hip operation.

“If you don’t have cancer, then the health service isn’t really interested in you.”

Letterkenny University Hospital

Donegal surgeon – “If you don’t have cancer, the health service isn’t really interested” was last modified: March 20th, 2018 by Stephen Maguire
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bedscancerdonegalDr Peter O'Rourkehospitalletterkenny
Stephen Maguire

Stephen Maguire is the co-founder of Donegal Daily. He has worked as a reporter for almost 30 years starting locally with the Donegal Peoples Press before moving to the Mirror Group. He continues to contribute daily to national media outlets including the Irish Times, RTE, the Irish Independent, Irish Sun, Irish Mirror, Irish Star, the Daily Mail and the Examiner.

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