Failure to reopen day care services at Mayo hospital remains a mystery
A Mayo Oireachtas member has issued an urgent appeal for the reopening of day services at Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar.
Senator Lisa Chambers said the facility holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Castlebar and Mayo and has been providing services, including inpatient stay, rehabilitation and day services, for decades in the county town.
She elaborated: "Almost all families in Mayo have had cause at some stage or other to use the facilities at this hospital.
"In 2019 we were delighted to officially open what was a new facility following €30 million of investment into the hospital.
"Day services were closed at the hospital during the pandemic, which was understandable at the time, but we are now post the emergency phase of the pandemic and most services across the country have reopened.
"However, we still do not have day services operational in the Sacred Heart Hospital and this beggars belief.
"We were told last year that the HSE expected to reopen day services midway through quarter one of 2022.
"That date has come and gone and we are no closer to the reopening of those services.
"Why have day services remained closed? What is the short-term plan to get services reopened?
"What is the HSE going to do for families and elderly persons in the county who badly need these services and who have been left with no alternative, unless they can pay privately, which most people cannot afford to do?
"Why, when have we built a brand-new facility, are we now being told that the facility cannot accommodate day services because of changes in regulation?
"It does not make sense or add up and the people of Castlebar and Mayo are wondering when they will get their day services reopened."
The Minister of State at the Department of Health, James Browne, said there are two day services operating in Castlebar at present.
Castlebar Social Services day service and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland are continuing to offer a service at home.
However, he accepted day services at the Sacred Heart have not reopened.
"The HSE has advised the department that it is making continuous efforts to source alternative accommodation.
"The social services space that was considered suitable for day services on the ground floor did not materialise because they rented the space to another day service.
"An alternative space located on the upper floor was reviewed by Community Healthcare West, but unfortunately it was deemed unsuitable.
"As infection prevention control, IPC, guidelines have now changed, an alternative space on the Sacred Heart Hospital campus is being pursued.
"The provision of a day service for the elderly on the Sacred Heart Hospital campus in Castlebar is preferable from an operational, governance and value for money perspective.
"The HSE is actively pursuing an interim arrangement for the summer and is exploring all options for a permanent space for Sacred Heart Hospital day services."
In reply, Senator Lisa Chambers said it still begs the question as to why a new facility that was opened in 2019 is not being reopened.
"We have all of this money being put into getting day centres back up and running - some 80% have reopened and 40 more are due to reopen - so why is the Castlebar facility not reopening?
"What is the problem? It cannot simply just be a case of not being able to find the right building.
"There are other locations. We still cannot get an answer to that question. How will we have a new facility if it is not fit for purpose to reopen as a day centre? Nobody can seem to answer that question."