A dementia unit in Cork has begun admitting patients after nearly four years, a local TD has been told.
The HSE had told Thomas Gould in December that the unit at Sarsfield Court had been subject to a “temporary pause” in admissions, but added that it was “planning to recommence admission of patients” and was “engaging with the regulator in this regard”.
Concerns had been raised in December about the future of the unit, with staff members telling The Echo at the time that there had not been an admission since 2021 while staff had been lost in the same period. The unit can accommodate 16 patients in a 24-hour care setting.
A response to Mr Gould from the HSE said that there are now six people at the unit, with a further admission in the coming weeks.
The Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central said it is a step forward that the dementia unit in Sarsfield Court is accepting patients again. His comments come as the HSE confirmed three admissions in recent months with a further admission pending.
Mr Gould said that the remaining beds in the unit should be filled as soon as possible.
“No patients were admitted to this unit from 2021 until we started putting pressure on them over this,” he said.
“I want to thank the staff and family members of patients who stood up for this facility. They would not allow the HSE to close it and, because of that, new patients have been admitted.
There are still nine empty beds in the unit, and these need to be filled urgently
“I am speaking to people whose loved ones are stuck in hospital because they cannot access appropriate nursing home care. No public nursing home beds should be closed while this is happening,” Mr Gould added.
He said the reopening of admissions to the unit is a big step forward.
“It is only thanks to the staff and family members making contact with me and speaking out that that happened. That is not how the HSE should do business,” he said.
“I will be raising this with the minister when the Dáil returns. How many other facilities like this exist that could be reopened with political pressure?”
The HSE told Mr Gould in December that the unit’s operation is not expected to be curtailed during the building of an elective hospital on the site.
“Mental health services have a number of buildings in the St Stephen’s Hospital campus that deliver adult and Camhs services,” it said.
“There are also other HSE departments and providers based on the site.
“Currently, mental health services have no involvement in the construction of the elective hospital. There has been no indication that there would be a requirement for the curtailment of mental health services.
“No request has been received to develop a mitigation plan for the construction period,” the HSE said.