'Totally unacceptable': No nurse cover on Tory island for two weeks

Tory Island will be without a nurse for the next fortnight – a development that has been branded as 'totally unacceptable'.

A spokesperson for Comharchumann Thoraí Teo confirmed that there is no nurse to cover the island for the next two weeks with all prescriptions to be collected by 1pm today.

The island, situated just over 14km off the Donegal coast, is Ireland's most remote inhabited island and has a population of around 200.

Donegal-based Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty has contacted the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and the HSE in a bid to address the issue.

“Tory Island going without a nurse for two weeks cannot be allowed to happen,” Deputy Doherty said.

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“I understand that unforeseen circumstances can arise and that cover needs to be found. But it should never take the HSE two weeks to provide cover in such a remote area where it is absolutely essential for there to be nursing cover.

“It is so frustrating that this needs to be said.”

The public have been advised to contact their GP or NoWDOC during after-surgery hours in the case of emergencies.

Deputy Doherty has said that provisions must be put in place to stop a repeat from occurring in the future.

He said: “It is not acceptable that we are telling people that they won’t be able to pick up prescriptions for two weeks and to travel to the mainland for health care.

“It is totally unacceptable that this is how our state continues to treat people living on our islands.”