Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher, Leas Cheann Comhairle, has received confirmation that at present 64 jobs are lying vacant at Letterkenny University Hospital.
There are 36 nursing and midwifery posts vacant, 13 health care and social care posts vacant and 15 general and administrative posts vacant.
Pat the Cope Gallagher said Letterkenny University Hospital is at crisis point and over the past 12 months the hospital has been at full capacity protocol at least 95 % of the time.
“We have seen first-hand the overcrowding in the accident and emergency department, the delays in obtaining a bed for many and the pressures on scheduled procedures and operations which has affected so many throughout the year.
“A full capacity review is urgently needed of the entire hospital, whereby each department and section would be looked at closely with a view to increasing the capacity to meet the demands being placed on it.
“It is self-obvious that the Government over the past 4 years have completely failed Letterkenny University Hospital, it has not featured on their priority list.
“In the meantime, matters are deteriorating to a stage that one must be seriously concerned about how the hospital can effectively run with less resources, staff shortages of 64 posts and a chronic lack of bed capacity,” he said.
Pat the Cope said there simply is no one listening to the demands and needs of LUH or the people of Donegal in terms of its health demands.
“The system is on the verge of collapse.
“A proactive and hands-on approach must be taken without delay to firstly fill the already existing vacant posts, to provide for extra bed capacity and the opening of the Acute Stroke Unit.
“These are the first steps which need to be taken to deal with the current crisis.
“A radical and complete review with the determination to undo the imbalances and shortfalls of the hospital is the only solution and I am committing to perusing that course if returned to Government,” added Pat the Cope.
