AUGUST 2009

Funding to benefit Letterkenny General Hospital

Co-operation for Cancer Care North West have said they are more than assured that Letterkenny General Hospital, Donegal and the North West Region will directly benefit from a share of the €30 million funding secured by Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) from the European Union INTERREG Programme.

According to spokesperson Noelle Duddy, the funding secured will help deliver on twelve cross border health and social care projects across the entire border region. "In particular Letterkenny General Hospital will benefit from the CAWT Acute Hospital services project that aims to develop across border Ear Nose and Throat (ENT), Vascular and Urology services. Implementation plans are currently being developed by sub-groups for each of the three services."

She added that last week's meeting between co-operating for Cancer Care North West, CCC(NW), and members of the Co-operation and Working Together, (CAWT) Team focused on progress/developments regarding the provision of vascular and urology services for Donegal/North West Region. "We were delighted to be informed that discussions are at an advanced stage regarding further developing urology services in LGH with the appointment of a second consultant urologist and nursing/support staff."

She added that Letterkenny hospital patients requiring vascular surgery are to benefit from the provision of a cross border vascular surgery service. "This service will reduce the number of patients having to travel to Galway or Dublin.

Séan Murphy, General Manager, LGH also stated that as a significant number of the hospital's patients currently go to Altnagelvin for vascular access they wish to acknowledge the excellent service provided by the Altnagelvin consultants in this regard. "This development has the potential to significantly enhance the current arrangements."

Noelle Duddy meanwhile suggested that following the two-hour meeting CCCNW were very impressed by the work and energy of the CAWT team and their projects. "These projects have the potential to reach deep into the needs of the cross border populations and affect meaningful change in how we communicate and deliver the health and social care require for this region which has for too long been neglected. By working together, it is very obvious that neighbours on either side of the border can benefit in kind and by working together we can meet critical mass criteria and present joint arguments to both governments to realise affordable, sustainable, workable health and social care for the people living in this region," she concluded.

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