Management of Letterkenny University Hospital have confirmed there are the requisite numbers of adults and children with diabetes types 1 and 2 in the county to merit a Diabetes Centre of Excellence to be based in the county.
Donegal Sinn Féin Senator Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has received official confirmation from management at the hospital.
Senator Mac Lochlainn said the Donegal branch of Diabetes Ireland has long campaigned for a centre to be based in the North West shared between Sligo and Letterkenny University Hospitals and they have produced an important map, showing the neglect in diabetes care of Donegal and the North West region.
He said “Letterkenny Hospital already has a building dedicated to diabetes care and all that is required is the appointment of the necessary staff such as a Paediatric Consultant Endocrinologist and Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) to be based at the hospital for centre of excellence status and equality of care with the rest of the State”.
Senator Mac Lochlainn submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health, asking if County Donegal has the requisite numbers of adults and children with diabetes types 1 and 2 to merit the locating of a centre of excellence for diabetes care at Letterkenny University Hospital and responding on his and the HSE’s behalf, the management of Letterkenny University Hospital have officially confirmed that we do.
Senator Mac Lochlainn added “This response has seriously increased the pressure on the Minister and his government to end the neglect of diabetes care in Donegal. There can be no more excuses. The Government and the HSE must do the right thing and commit to the funding of the additional staff estimated at €1.5 million”.
(Full response below).
“To ask the Minister for Health if County Donegal has the requisite numbers of adults and children with diabetes types 1 and 2 to merit the locating of a centre of excellence for diabetes care at Letterkenny University Hospital
The Health Service Executive has been requested to reply directly to you in the context of the above Parliamentary Question/Public Representation which you submitted to the Minister for Health for response. I have examined the matter and the following outlines the position.
Yes it is the opinion of LUH that the current number of adults and children with diabetes in Donegal would merit the locating of a centre of excellence for diabetes care at Letterkenny University Hospital.
Our May data shows that we have 130 pediatric diabetic type 1 patients attending LUH with a further 9 attending other hospitals at present.
In relation to our adult caseload, over 30 adults are now on pump therapy.
There are 660 adult patients with Type 2 Diabetes under the care of LUH.
Not all Type 2 patients attend in Donegal attend LUH and are managed primarily in the community.
