Hospital Facilities

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 October 2023

Tuesday, 17 October 2023

Questions (561)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Question:

561. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he will ask the HSE to urgently review the decision not to include a surgical hub for the north west and to consider Donegal town as one of the locations for a surgical hub, due to its location between Sligo University Hospital and Letterkenny University Hospital (with almost 40,000 inpatients combined annually) and to support the ability of surgeons and consultants to work through the long waiting lists for surgical procedures at both hospitals and to deliver equality of access to healthcare for the people of the north west. [45005/23]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The Government’s €22.5bn health budget for 2024 will facilitate the continued delivery and expansion of quality, affordable healthcare services. This includes provision for the opening and staffing of six new Surgical Hubs across the country.Based on this allocation, the HSE will now work with hospital groups to progress the new Surgical Hubs in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.If further capacity is required beyond this, the HSE will consider how best to address this in the wider context of service delivery reform and future plans for healthcare provision