Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Kenny and, in fairness, I acknowledge and understand his frustration in this regard because it is an issue he has pursued on multiple occasions in this House. I accept his sincerity and bona fides in this regard.

The diabetes service at Sligo University Hospital, as the Deputy knows better than I, is a well-established integrated service, operating on a multidisciplinary team basis in the hospital and the community. This shared care approach is supported by a team of specialist diabetic nurses and an advanced nurse practitioner in both the hospital and the community, as well as a full range of support staff. In addition, there is a pregnancy diabetes service, inpatient ward-based consultation service and inpatient and outpatient podiatry service. The adult diabetes service at Sligo University Hospital is currently led by two consultant endocrinologists and includes an insulin pump service. There is also a paediatric diabetes specialist service which provides a regional insulin pump service for children across the north-west region. Both the adult and paediatric pump services have experienced considerable growth in referrals - which is a real challenge in regard to diabetes - both from new patients commencing treatment, as well as repatriation of patients from national tertiary centres.

We are committed to the further development of services for people with diabetes. A project funded under the Sláintecare integration fund only in recent weeks will give diabetes patients across Sligo, Leitrim and west Cavan expanded access to diabetes services through their GP and primary care settings, and I will send the Deputy information in that regard. We also see that the development of the diabetes day unit is now proceeding to build stage, with contractors appointed and building due to start next week. The project is expected to take 12 months and will meet the needs of the paediatric and adult diabetes services for patients from Sligo University Hospital.

I accept the Deputy's point on the need to do more in this regard. He has given me a letter this morning from the chairperson of the Sligo branch of Diabetes Ireland. In recognition of the fact the Deputy has raised this on multiple occasions, and in an effort to resolve the matter, I suggest that I would happily host a meeting here with representatives of the Sligo branch of Diabetes Ireland, Deputy Kenny and his Oireachtas colleagues, a manager from the hospital and the HSE. I will arrange that within the next month.

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