Almost €29 million was paid out to private hospitals in two years to tackle waiting lists at Letterkenny University Hospital, it has been revealed.
The National Treatment Purchase Fund paid out the funds for elective in-patient and day-case surgeries.
With growing demands for a Surgical Hub to be located at the hospital, Donegal Sinn Féin TD, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says the outsourcing of cases threatens recruitment.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said: “These figures that I have received say it all. There is a severe crisis in surgical care at Letterkenny University Hospital that threatens the ability of the hospital to operate an Emergency Department in the time ahead. This crisis is due to years of neglect and the systematic underfunding of our major hospital in Donegal.
“Rather than investing in a Surgical Hub at Letterkenny that would reduce our long waiting lists and attract the surgeons, doctors and nurses that we need, our government has handed almost €29 million to private hospitals to carry out procedures on Donegal patients that should be carried out in Donegal.
“In 2023, they handed over €13,270,927 and in 2024, that amount increased to €15,692,429. In 2020, the amount paid out was €1,081,165 so these increases in recent years are astonishing.”
Donegal doctors met with the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill yesterday to present their case for the placement of a surgical hub in Letterkenny instead of Sligo.
A group of 171 Donegal GPs and consultants has claimed that the move will lead to a downgrading of Letterkenny University Hospital.
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said the outsourcing figures are further evidence of why Letterkenny must have a Surgical Hub.
The figure has seen a steady increase since the pandemic.
In 2020, the amount paid was €1,081,165. This figure rose to €2,375,546 in 2021 and continued to increase significantly, reaching €4,766,792 in 2022. The payments saw a substantial jump in 2023, totalling €13,270,927.
“We are tired of the neglect of Letterkenny University Hospital. We are tired of money that should be invested in our public hospital being handed away to private hospitals and other private providers,” he said.
