Thomas Pringle TD
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Pringle: Government must address LUH recruitment and retention issues to avoid ‘service collapse’

Pringle: Government must address LUH recruitment and retention issues to avoid ‘service collapse’

Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has called on Government to address recruitment and retention issues at Letterkenny University Hospital, highlighting GPs’ and consultants’ warnings of a “service collapse” in a letter to the minister.

Addressing the Tánaiste in the Dáil today, Deputy Pringle said: “I know Minister Donnelly received a letter two weeks ago from almost 80 GPs in Donegal, and a letter last week from consultants in Letterkenny University Hospital in Donegal as well, calling for urgent action at the Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital.

“In the letter, GPs and consultants warn of a ‘service collapse’, call on the minister and senior officials to step in and have an external review of the emergency department carried out and an action plan put in place regarding access to the department and acute services.

“Letterkenny is in crisis, Tánaiste. Over the last few weeks patients have been forced to wait over 24 hours, and in many cases 36 to 48 hours, to be seen. There aren’t even seats available for those waiting in the Emergency Department. It is that crowded.

“There is a serious risk to patients in Donegal arising from deteriorating conditions in our Emergency Department and a lack of hospital resources. Letterkenny is one of the busiest hospitals in the country, yet it gets far less funding per patient than most other hospitals. This is yet another sign of Donegal being ignored and under-resourced. It cannot be ignored, Tánaiste, and it requires urgent action from the government,” he said.

The deputy raised the issue today during Leaders’ Questions.

Deputy Pringle said: “The Minister has said that there is an issue with recruitment in Letterkenny and so I would like once again to take this opportunity to urge the government and the HSE to collaborate with Cuba in sending doctors to Ireland to relieve pressure on Ireland’s health service.” Cuba in the past has provided medical services in 165 countries, he said.

The deputy said: “The country currently serves 59 nations, including Portugal, Italy and Sweden within the EU. So it is there and they’re willing to do it. All they need is for you to ask, and I don’t think that’s too much to ask,” he said. The deputy said he has been raising this since June of last year, but the minister has failed to engage with him on the issue, despite numerous attempts.

Deputy Pringle said: “We need to focus on retention, too. There are at least 88 overseas nurses and midwives who have taken up roles in Letterkenny University Hospital since the beginning of last year. And I would like to take this opportunity to express my solidarity to the migrant nurses who were outside Leinster House on Tuesday, calling for family reunification as many are separated from their spouses and children due to their low pay not meeting visa conditions.

“They provide a service to the country and they should not be punished for it. They deserve pay parity with HSE workers to bring them above the visa threshold.

“My question is this, Tánaiste: What are you going to do to address recruitment and retention issues at Letterkenny University Hospital?” he said.

In his response, the Tánaiste said Minister Donnelly will meet with representatives of GPs next week to discuss the issues they raised in their letter.

Deputy Pringle said: “I’m glad the minister is meeting with the GPs. I hope that an action plan will come of out of that and we will see the problem is actually resolved.”