Campaigners say meeting with Minister for Health in Letterkenny was 'positive'

Local campaigners have described a meeting with the Minister for Health in Letterkenny as positive and are hopeful that results will follow.

Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill visited Letterkenny today to view the site of the new 110-bed Letterkenny Community Hospital development and visited the Emergency Department and the Haematology/Oncology ward, which has been newly restructured to enhance patient care and experience.

The Minister’s visit was extended to include a meeting at Errigal Errigal Chronic Disease Management Hub with representatives from Cancer Care NorthWest and the Donegal branch of Diabetes Ireland, who raised issues about access to services in the north west.

Raymond Sweeney, Noreen McFadden and Paul Gillespie

After the meeting with Minister Carroll MacNeill, cancer campaigner Roseena Doherty Toner said: “I think it was a positive meeting. We are happy with the outcome of today and we have to see what happens down the track. Hopefully, there will be results.”

Prior to the meeting, Roseena outlined what is needed to provide better cancer services for patients in Donegal.

“The first step is funding, the hospital needs a massive injection of funds, to the tune of 100 million,” she said. “We need the ambulatory care centre, which will house the cancer care facilities that we are looking for.”

Noelle Duddy campaigns for CrossBorder Cancer Care. She highlighted the need for a surgical hub in Letterkenny to alleviate pressures for Donegal patients who often need to travel long distances to receive care.

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“We are looking for geographical equity,” she said. “We are looking for equity in the delivery of services that is humane for patients and Donegal patients are very tired of travelling. It’s an extra cost, it’s extra distress when you’re not well, and having to make those journeys in snow, with roadworks to then get there and be told the scan is cancelled.”

The new 110-bed unit is a major enhancement of services for older people in the county and will provide modern, fit-for-purpose facilities for both short and long-term care.

The inclusion of a new 10-bed Dementia Unit as part of this facility will provide a person-centred, safe and appropriate environment designed around the needs of people living with dementia and their families.

The project is currently midway through construction and is expected to be substantially complete by Q2 2026, costing in excess of €52m. Following this phase, operational commissioning will take place with the facility expected to open in the second half of next year.

Minister MacNeill said: “This new 110-bed unit is a major enhancement for services for older people in Letterkenny and the surrounding areas. I am particularly pleased to visit today to see the significant progress made on its construction. Our Community Nursing Units and Community Hospitals play a vital role in providing long-term care and services. This new, state-of-the-art Community Hospital will be instrumental in delivering long-term care and other essential services.”

The community hospital will contain two 25-bed households for stepdown or medical rehab use alongside a Rehabilitation Unit, which will be located on the first floor. The Rehabilitation Unit will include Physiotherapy treatment rooms, Occupational Therapy rooms, Speech & Language Therapy room, consultation room and outdoor therapy space.

Two 25-bed household units will accommodate 50 long-stay residential beds with outdoor space, which will be located on the ground floor.

Each household will comprise of single bedrooms, including en-suite facilities as well as one twin room, all with en-suite facilities. Each one will also feature a day room, activity room, dining room with a dedicated kitchenette and an assisted bathroom.

The main hospital catering department, staff changing/ dining facilities and other service delivery areas will also be located on the household floor.

The lower ground floor will provide a 10-bed Dementia Specific Unit which has been designed as a household model with an additional multi-sensory room, quiet room and courtyard spaces/garden. The design of the Dementia Unit will support the continued engagement of the residents living with dementia in meaningful person-centred activities.

As well as containing the Dementia Unit, the lower ground floor will also provide for the main entrance, reception area, office space and communal facilities for the hospital, such as hairdressers room, reflective room, visitor room and meeting rooms.

The project was designed by MCA Architects (Dublin) and Local Contractor Boyle Construction are building the hospital.