The government is planning to deliver 72 more inpatient beds at Letterkenny University Hospital between 2029 and 2031, according to a national expansion plan.
The new acute beds were announced today to meet the healthcare needs of our growing and ageing population and bring more regional balance in Irish hospitals.
Letterkenny University Hospital has seen an additional 50 beds added since 2021, according to the Department of Health.
Meanwhile, 427 patients were treated on trolleys at the LUH emergency department this month so far, the INMO reports. Today, there were 18 patients awaiting admission on trolleys or in overflow wards.
The Department of Health’s Bed Capacity Expansion Plan aims to deliver 3,352 new inpatient beds nationwide in the next seven years, not including daybeds, rehabilitation, subacute or other specialist beds, which have their own plans.
Welcoming the announcement Donegal minister Charlie McConalogue said: “These new beds are much needed at Letterkenny University Hospital, and I know they will be of enormous comfort to families in the region.
“Delivering healthcare for everyone is a cornerstone of Fianna Fail’s approach in government. Since 2020 we have already delivered 1,218 net additional acute hospital beds. We are improving access to health services, with reductions in waiting times and waiting lists, lower costs for treatment, more entitlement to free GP services than ever before, and Ireland’s first ever Women’s Health Strategy.”
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine added: “We’ve cut the amount of money families need to spend on healthcare, abolished hospital charges, introduced free contraception, reduced monthly medicines bills and rolled out free IVF. Today’s announcement is further evidence that Fianna Fáil is committed to tackling the issues we are facing in our healthcare system head-on.”
