Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government’s core stated objective is to promote care in the community so that people can continue to live with confidence, security and dignity in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. This is clearly what older people and everybody in this House wants. We also have patients who are in genuine need of residential care either on a long-stay or short-stay basis and their safety and well-being is of paramount concern.

Residential care is provided through a mix of public, voluntary and private provision. It is worth highlighting that the budget for long-term residential care in 2019 is €985 million and over 23,000 clients on average at any one time will be in receipt of financial support.

Midleton Community Hospital is a 53-bed facility predominantly for the care of older persons. The current bed profile is 45 beds for continuing care, one for chronic young sick, five respite beds and two for community support. The hospital, which has access to a visiting consultant, provides 24-hour nursing care through a team of doctors, managers, staff nurses, multi-task attendants and other staff members.

As the Deputy is aware, community hospitals like Midleton are an essential part of our national infrastructure and we are determined to maintain our public stock. However, many public units are housed in buildings that are less than ideal in the modem context. It is important to note that, notwithstanding this, the care delivered to residents is generally of a very high standard. Without these units, many older people would not have access to the care that they need. On that basis, we need to upgrade our public bed stock and this is the aim of the capital investment programme for community nursing units. This programme includes a number of facilities in Cork, including Midleton Community Hospital.

Pending the building of the new facility in Midleton, we have to ensure that the highest standards of care are provided to all current residents in a safe and secure environment. On that basis, important upgrade works at the hospital are underway. These will be completed in a number of weeks. Once completed, the seven beds in St. Mary’s ward which unfortunately had to be temporarily closed will be reopened.

The HSE recognises the value and importance of respite care, and sincerely regrets that these beds had to be temporarily closed. However, there was no other way to undertake these important upgrade and fire renovation works.

As well as essential fire upgrade works, some improvements are being made at the hospital, including a new shower room, better storage facilities and an upgrade to a ward kitchenette. These works will be of huge benefit to residents and will enhance privacy and dignity for them.

Management at the hospital worked with public health nursing staff, who co-ordinate respite admissions to Midleton. I understand that every effort was made to keep families informed, to provide alternative arrangements where possible or to reschedule the admission dates for respite. Some clients have been facilitated in Youghal Community Hospital and others have been facilitated in nursing homes in the Midleton and Cork city areas.

The HSE has advised that it is committed to reopening the beds as soon as possible, and it is expected that this will be done in a matter of weeks.

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