Emergency Department at LUH described as a 'battlefield'

A Letterkenny councillor has called on the Government to pay attention to Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH).

Councillor Tomás Seán Devine, 100% Redress, shared on social media that he was in the hospital visiting a friend, describing the current condition of the busy Emergency Department as “an absolute disgrace” as staff try to keep up with high levels of demand.

“It's like a battlefield in there, crowds, no beds, it’s a shambles,” he said. “This government has a lot to answer for… when you go in through them doors and see what them nurses, doctors and patients sitting in there, what they are going through, I don’t know what we need to do to waken this government, this whole place, up.

“It’s disheartening when you see elderly people sitting in there for 24 hours, sitting in wheelchairs and trolleys, and if they’re lucky, they get a trolley to lie on. It’s absolutely shambolic.

“I have no doubt in my mind if there's some minister or something coming here tomorrow, this place would be read out, people shifted into nursing homes, which constantly happens in the past, and that’s not good enough, hiding the problems away.”

Cllr Devine called for other government parties to “waken up” and to spend time with the nurses and doctors in the ED to find a solution to the hospital's overcrowding.

In recent days, hospital management has made the decision to cancel a number of elective surgeries due to a high volume of patients attending the ED.

“It angers you sometimes as an elective representative,” he continued. “When you see people in there, and they're sitting telling you everything that's going wrong, that you can’t do nothing for them.”

In the video, Cllr Devine called for local TD’s, senators, and councillors to come together as he feels the hospital requires new management to tackle its recurring issue of overcrowding.

Cllr Devine ended the video by acknowledging the work done by the ED nurses who are “run of their feet”, and questions if the new Community Nursing Unit will alleviate the pressure.

The 110-bed unit, costing €52 million, is located across from LUH on the Kilmacrennan Road and is set to open before the end of this year.

The unit includes 50 long-stay residential beds, step-down and medical rehabilitation units, a dedicated 10-bed dementia unit with a multi-sensory room and courtyard, and integrated therapy and clinical consultation rooms.