Past time to increase respite beds at Mayo's Sacred Heart Hospital

“LOCAL families in Castlebar are in dire need of respite beds and the lack of availability of these beds is totally unacceptable,” according to Independent Councillor Harry Barrett.

Availability is falling short of demand for the service in the town.

Recently, a local contacted Councillor Barrett about his struggle as a full-time carer for his wife.

“He’s on duty 24/7, and the few days he manages to secure a respite bed at the Sacred Heart are the only moments of relief he gets all year round.

“And even though his wife’s condition is unchanging - and he’s used the service before - he still has to wrestle with a mountain of paperwork, detailing every aspect of her condition,” he explained.

“This level of bureaucracy is simply not right.”

What makes it even more galling, continued Councillor Barrett, is that while neighbouring areas like Swinford District Hospital have six respite beds, and Ballina and Belmullet have two each, Castlebar is stuck with just one.

“I recently contacted the HSE’s manager in charge of the service, who mentioned that a second bed might be available if the staffing issues were sorted. But no firm commitment was given, leaving families in limbo.

“The current situation is simply unacceptable. Castlebar families in need of respite deserve better support. They need a respite service that matches the demand.”

Councillor Barrett called on the HSE and local health authorities to act swiftly to address this imbalance.