A Donegal Health campaigner has hit out at the manager of Letterkenny University Hospital and the Saolta Hospital group for failing to be upfront about the situation facing cancer patients.
Betty Holmes of the Donegal Action for Cancer Care met with the Minister for Health and senior health officials including LUH Manager Seán Murphy on the 12th of December to discuss health issues in Donegal.
She says one of their questions was regarding chemotherapy patients.
The Saolta Hospital group confirmed yesterday that all new chemotherapy referrals from Letterkenny are being made to Galway until a replacement locum oncologist starts in March.
However, Ms. Homles says the scale of the referrals was not made known to them at Demeber’s meeting and it has led to anger among the families of cancer patients:
On top of this she says a recent plan by the Minister to reduce waiting lists through the National Treatment Purchase Fund directs more money into the private hospital sector when public hospitals are at breaking point: