Pearse Doherty hits out at absence of Minister from Letterkenny hospital talks

Pearse Doherty has criticised the Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly for absence from talks with GPs and consultants in Donegal.

Members of the Saolta University Healthcare Group met with Donegal GPs on Wednesday. That showdown came after 78 doctors in Donegal signed a letter stating that they feared for patients’ safety at Letterkenny University Hospital.

Eleven consultants also wrote to the Minister to highlight their concerns.

The Minister for Health has denied claims that he has ‘refused’ to visit the hospital and has insisted that an offer to meet at Leinster House or to meet remotely is on the table.

Deputy Doherty addressed the matter in the Dáil on Thursday and said: “It is now over a month since almost 80 GPs and 11 Consultants from our own county wrote to the Minister for Health expressing their grave concerns about the deepening crisis in Letterkenny University Hospital.

“They have requested that the Minister for Health travel to Donegal and meet with them urgently.

“The Minister for Health is sitting three seats over from you. You went on local radio, on Highland radio, and said that he would come to Donegal. One month on and the Minister has still not come to Donegal.

“He has still not met with them. He has refused to take up that offer, despite the unprecedented intervention.”

Deputy Doherty told the Dáil that the Minister had twice refused to come to debate the issue with hje and Deputy Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn.

He told Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue: “I ask you, Minister McConalogue, or indeed the Minister for Health if he wants to discuss this, to stand up and be counted.

“It is a month on and you still haven’t shown them the respect to actually travel to Donegal and meet them and hear their concerns.”