McMonagle calls for Letterkenny hospital education centre to tackle staff shortages

The HSE has been urged to consider citing a research and education facility at Letterkenny University Hospital.  

The call was made this week by Sinn Fein Councillor Gerry McMonagle.

Councillor McMonagle, who is the Chair of the Regional Health Forum West and North West, said he was “very disappointed” to learn that there were no plans to develop such a facility at LUH.

However, the Letterkenny-based representative welcomed the fact that the decision could be reviewed under the Development Control Plan.

“To me, this is a no brainer,” Councillor McMonagle said.

“If we train and educate staff in the north west, there is a bigger chance that they will stay in the north west and work in our local hospitals and health services.”

Councillor McMonagle said that the vast majority of graduates from the School of Medicine at Magee University in Derry stay in the north west.

“Last year, over 70% stayed in the north west,” he said. “We need to get a more focussed way and this could be our solution to the amount of vacancies in the hospital staff. This could be how we address it in years to come if we have the effort and the vision to do it.”

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Councillor McMonagle said that this should be a priority.

Dermot Monaghan, the Integrated Health Area Manager, Donegal, responded that data put together and finalised under a Model 3 Clinical Care Report and Plan, put together by Mr Michael Sugrue, a Consultant General Surgeon, and other clinicians, would be assessed as part of the Development Control Plan.