Letterkenny University Hospital needs to recruit 23 permanent consultants

Letterkenny University Hospital needs to recruit 23 permanent consultants and ten doctors.

Figures released by the Health Service Executive (HSE) show also there are more than 90 other vacancies at the hospital, including 50 in nursing and midwifery.

The HSE says that up to Feburay, 23.3 whole-time equivalent (WTE) approved consultant posts were not filled with a permanent consultant. Locum consultants are filling 18.5 WTE posts on a temporary basis, leaving 4.8 WTE consultant posts not filled.

There are also ten non-consultant hospital doctor (NCHD) posts that are not filled with an HSE contracted doctor. Agency staff are filling 4.5 WTE leaving 5.5 NCHD posts not filled.

'Incredibly dangerous' overcrowding at LUH say INMO

In a response to a question from Letterkenny councillor Ciaran Borgan to the HSE Regional Health Forum West, the HSE said four locum consultants are due to take up positions at the hospital in the coming months.

Tony Canavan, chief executive of Saolta University Health Care Group, said interviews are ongoing for the filling of all consultant positions and are taking place on a weekly basis for locum contracts.

There are multiple recruitment campaigns ongoing for positions at the hospital including nursing, facility support staff, health and social care professionals and management and administration staff, he said.

The hospital recruited 92 staff in 2021 including 54 roles in nursing and midwifery, leaving 93 positions still vacant.