Fine Gael TD for Donegal North East, Joe McHugh, has said he is confident that Letterkenny General Hospital's massive restoration project will demonstrate the effectiveness of the new Hospital Groups that were established nationally last May.

Deputy McHugh was speaking following discussions with HSE and Hospital management.

He said: "Provision of hospital services to Donegal patients whilst regeneration works are ongoing at Letterkenny General Hospital, is a dry run for the new Hospital Groups that were established nationally last May. Letterkenny General Hospital is the second largest hospital in the new West/North West Hospital Group.

"The West/North West Group of Hospitals has been put in place to work together as a single cohesive entity managed as one, to provide acute care for patients in the area, maximising the amount of care delivered locally, whilst ensuring complex care is safely provided in specific hospitals in the region. I am confident that Letterkenny General Hospital's massive restoration project and the extremely trying situation at present, will demonstrate the effectiveness of the new Hospital Groups system.

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"The presence at the hospital throughout last weekend of Noel Daly, Chairperson of the West/North West Group and Bill Maher, CEO of the Hospital Groups, gave significant support in allowing local hospital management to focus on getting services back up and running. Already massive work has been done since the weekend.

"The visit to the hospital last Sunday of the Minister for Health, James Reilly TD, and the Secretary General of the Department of Health, Dr. Ambrose McLoughlin, was also reassuring and demonstrates that the new Hospital Group is prioritising regeneration of our hospital. Letterkenny's status as the second largest hospital in the region, makes it clear that Sligo General Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry will not be able to meet all the demands during this emergency period. I am aware that there is a focus on some local solutions to this challenge."

(CD/JP)