Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Letterkenny University Hospital, LUH, is a model 3 hospital, operating as part of the Saolta University Health Care Group. There were 24,141 inpatients in LUH in 2019 and 9,731 inpatients in the first two quarters of this year. The budget allocation for Letterkenny University Hospital is €145.9 million. This is the 12th highest annual budget allocation for a public hospital in 2020. The Deputy will be happy to know that it is also the second highest budget for a model 3 hospital anywhere in Ireland. Data provided by the HSE on staffing levels indicate that 1,745 whole-time equivalent staff are working in Letterkenny University Hospital, which is the fourth highest number in a model 3 hospital nationally.

There have been significant investments in services in the hospital in recent years. These include the completion of the radiology rebuild, including a second CT and interventional radiology suite, and of a 20-bed short-stay ward; the construction of two new wards, Medical 6 and Medical 7; the commissioning of a new mammography machine in the symptomatic breast disease unit; and the appointment of consultants in paediatrics, gastroenterology and urology as well as advanced nurse practitioners. The HSE also advises that a new acute stroke unit will commence operation before the end of the year. I know this news will be very welcome to the local community.

Plans for further investment in Letterkenny University Hospital in 2021 include plans for the commissioning of a new maternity theatre, the commissioning of a second CT scanner, the expansion of the colposcopy service with additional clinic rooms, and the replacement of the haematology oncology day ward aseptic unit. I hope the Deputy agrees that the extent of recent and upcoming developments illustrates the Government's commitment to Letterkenny University Hospital and to patients in the north west.

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