Pádraig Mac Lochlainn
Question:555. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health if he plans to upgrade the status of Letterkenny University Hospital from a model 3 hospital. [44006/23]
View answerTuesday, 10 October 2023
Questions (555)
Written answers
Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) is a Model 3 Hospital, operating as part of the Saolta University Health Care Group. LUH is an Acute General and Maternity Hospital, providing a wide range of local and regional services on an in-patient, day case and out-patient basis. The budget allocation for LUH in 2023 is €177 million, an increase on the 2022 allocation. As at April 2023, 2,144 Whole Time Equivalents were employed by LUH.
There has been significant investment in services in LUH in recent years. Capital projects completed in the last two years include:
- the expansion of gynaecology services
- the opening of the acute stroke unit
- the provision of an additional endoscopy theatre and a new maternity theatre
- and the provision of additional patient beds.
As part of the HSE Capital Plan 2023, projects planned and underway include the expansion of the Renal Dialysis Unit, the expansion of the Haematology/Oncology Day Unit and the Electrical Infrastructure Upgrade. The extent of recent and upcoming developments illustrates Government's commitment to LUH and to patients in the North West.
Funding for current expenditure is allocated on an annual (single-year) basis through the Estimates process with future levels of funding considered as part of the national estimates and budgetary process. Decisions on the funding of services are being made in the context of the Estimates process for 2024.