GPs hope the health minister will promote change and improvement at LUH

General Practitioners have described their meeting with the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly as being both frank and productive. 

GPs met with the minister and his delegation this morning at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH). 

Doctors say there was "an acknowledgement that LUH has unique challenges when compared to other
model 3 hospitals across the country, not least the geographical isolation and the long
distances faced by patients to the centre of excellence in Galway."
Dr Pádraig McGuinness, a GP in Fanad said: “The minister is clearly here to listen and 
appears committed to facilitating change and improvement in services to the patients in
Donegal. While everything cannot be fixed at once, and we all have a part to play, it is clear
that system change is required to get improved access for Donegal patients”.
Following from today’s meeting the minister has committed to meeting with the General
Practitioners again in the near future to outline his plans on how those improvements can
be achieved.
Speaking after the meeting Dr Ciarán Ó’Fearraigh, GP in Stranorlar said: “We were glad to
have the opportunity to outline our significant concerns directly to the minister here in
Donegal. We hope that he will honour his commitment here today to focus attention on the
unique challenges here in Letterkenny and to work with SAOLTA and the Department to
promote change and improvement”
The GPs outlined their three main concerns again, seeking an external review, opening of
the Medical Assessment Unit and urgent access to outpatient appointments. They received
an update from the minister and his team of the review currently taking place in the
hospital and some of the proposed solutions.

The doctors took time to outline their patient safety concerns directly to the minister and the delegation from the HSE and the department. They discussed issues across a range of specialisms and gave some detailed anonymised patient stories to articulate some of the concerns the GPs have.

It is hoped that this review will lead to substantial change and that it will be expanded to look at wider issues beyond the Emergency Department.
Dr McGuinness said “As a group, we will continue to advocate for our patients, for improved
services and for more equitable healthcare for the people of Donegal.”