Featured photo: Minister for Health is Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD with Patrick McConnell, a patient of the Errigal CDM Hub and Claire McRory, Operational Lead for Chronic Disease Management Donegal. Photo Clive Wasson
The Minister for Health has said that more staff will be needed to service 102 extra beds opening at Letterkenny University Hospital in the next five years.
Recruitment and retention issues came to the fore during Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill’s visit to LUH on Thursday.
The Minister heard that Donegal has an additional challenge of retaining staff in posts.
Speaking after engagements with hospital management and staff yesterday, the Minister said: “There is 25% more staff in Letterkenny Hospital in the last five years, that’s 441 people, but we need more, in the same way we need more in other parts of the health service.
“There is difficulty in terms of recruitment, identifying people, making people come into Ireland, and Donegal has that additional challenge of retention difficulties with staff that have come here and decided not to stay.
“There are a lots of different reasons for that, some where I can be helpful, particularly in terms of some of the specialisms and I have heard very clearly what needs to be done there.”
The Minister visited the new 110 bed Letterkenny Community Hospital, marking the midway point of the major project which is expected to be complete by Q2 2026.
The unit is being delivered at a cost of €52m, and the Minister confirmed that there are plans for further expanding capacity at LUH in the next five years.
“The budget has increased by nearly 60% but there are 102 beds that will be either new or replacement beds up to 2031,” said Minister Carroll MacNeill.
“There is also increased capacity through things like the new nursing unit, all of which adds to capacity for the health system more broadly in this area. There is a lot of work that has been done and there is certainly an awful lot more to be done.”
