Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Lowry for raising this matter. I apologise to the Deputy as the Minister of State with responsibility for older people is not present but I will convey the Deputy's remarks to him. I will also convey the remarks to the senior Minister. I am well aware of the Deputy's long interest in this hospital in Cashel. I seem to be on the opposite side from people from Tipperary all week but I hope I will be able to give the Deputy a satisfactory answer on this occasion.

The overarching policy of the Government is to support older people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. This is clearly what older people want and only those in genuine need of residential care should go down that route. The HSE is responsible for the delivery of health and personal social services, including those at facilities such as Our Lady's Hospital, Cashel. Our Lady’s Hospital, Cashel, was originally part of acute health service delivery in the south Tipperary area. In 2007, the former South Eastern Health Board decided that acute hospital services for the area should be centralised on one site, that being South Tipperary General Hospital, Clonmel. This led in turn to the redevelopment, over two phases, of the former Our Lady’s Hospital into Cashel health campus, a centre for non-acute health care services. There is, however, a compelling need to develop hospital avoidance and early discharge facilities in south Tipperary, particularly for the growing elderly population. That is why the HSE is focused on developing a range of diverse primary care and community-oriented services to best serve the people of Cashel and surrounding areas.

The services range from those operating on a 24-hour day, seven days a week basis to those that use the facility as a base to provide care in peoples' homes and communities. The health care professionals based in Cashel health campus provide services across a number of care groups to the population of Cashel and surrounding areas. The community intervention team located on the campus is a nurse-led professional team that provides nursing care to patients in a community setting. The service provides high-quality nursing care in the community for a short period by working together with patients, carers and other professionals. Thanks to the provision of this service, many patients can return to their homes earlier from hospital. It also provides GPs with another option of care within the community as an alternative to the acute hospital. Additionally, HSE community services provide support for people who are at home via the primary care team and home support services, which are based in Cashel health campus. These services continue to have a significant role in supporting older adults who are discharged from hospital with ongoing non-acute care needs and in preventing admission to hospital.

As part of winter funding measures for 2018 and 2019 introduced to improve access to unscheduled care, €450,000 has been approved by the HSE to further develop community services for older people in south Tipperary. This follows the commitment of the Minister, Deputy Harris, on a visit to Tipperary in September to a 40-bed modular extension to South Tipperary General Hospital and his support for a day hospital at Cashel. That was at the invitation of the Deputy. I know the Minister would wish to acknowledge Deputy Lowry's advocacy on this matter and the use of Cashel, and indeed he accompanied the Minister on his visit there. Discussions are planned for the development of further initiatives, working in an integrated way with South Tipperary General Hospital and existing community services, which will provide a continuum of care for the local population, with particular emphasis on the provision of a model of care pathway for older people in line with the integrated care programme for older people.

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