Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Pringle for asking this important question. Letterkenny University Hospital provides essential and high-quality hospital care to patients in the north-west. I assure the Deputy of the continued commitment to develop services at the hospital as evidenced by the significant number of completed and ongoing capital projects there. In addition, Letterkenny has been leading the way nationally in developing cross-Border services for cardiac and cancer patients. I was delighted to visit Altnagelvin recently with the Northern Ireland health Minister to see first hand that cross-Border work. The breast cancer service at Letterkenny operates as a satellite centre of University Hospital Galway and is run by a consultant who also undertakes general surgery. It is augmented by visiting Galway-based and locum consultants. Efforts are being made to recruit a full-time locum consultant surgeon to address current service demands.

As the Deputy may know, I met recently with cancer support groups from the area and I thank them for their engagement. The national cancer control programme, my Department and the Saolta group are actively engaged in ensuring that quality breast cancer services are available. Consideration continues to be given to longer-term measures to meet future service requirements, including consultant and other staffing issues. The diabetes service at the hospital is led by a consultant endocrinologist supported by a locum consultant general physician who has a diabetic interest. Additional clinics are being provided in order to address diabetes waiting lists. The Saolta group advises that an application for a second consultant endocrinologist is currently being completed by the HSE medical directorate with hospital management. It will then be submitted to the consultant appointments advisory committee for approval. New consultant surgeons specialising in colorectal and general surgery and a consultant anaesthetist have been recently recruited and a number of consultant posts are currently undergoing recruitment processes. The hospital continues to innovate in its recruitment practices. I thank the hospital and acknowledge its work in that regard.

In my recent engagement in March with cancer support and lobby groups in Donegal, I agreed along with the national cancer control programme that there was a case for exploring possible options for co-operation with Altnagelvin on breast cancer services. It was agreed to hold a meeting in the coming weeks in Letterkenny involving Saolta, the national cancer control programme, Oireachtas Members from Donegal, Donegal Action for Cancer Care and Co-operating for Cancer Care NorthWest. I look forward to the outcome of that.

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