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

I thank Deputy Calleary for his acknowledgement of our previous engagement, which also included the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Ring, Senator Swanick, and Councillor Gerry Coyle, who, like all representatives in the area, is very animated about this issue. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. It provides me with an opportunity to update the House on this matter.

Social care services, including home care, day care, and short stay residential care, are all important components in enabling people to remain living at home and participating in their communities. They also provide valuable supports to carers. This Government is committed to supporting people to live in dignity and independence in their homes and communities for as long as possible. Where this is not feasible, the health service supports access to quality long-term residential care where this is appropriate, and we will continue to develop and improve health services in all regions of the country to ensure quality and patient safety.

There is an obvious need to provide high-quality and flexible services that not only best meet the needs of individual clients but also reduce pressures elsewhere on the wider health system, such as acute hospitals or on long-term residential care. As of 30 April 2019, there were a total of 1,943 short stay public beds, which include step-up care, step-down care, intermediate care, rehab and respite care, which are used in a flexible manner to meet local needs at any given time. The Health Service Executive has operational responsibility for the delivery of health and social services, including those at facilities such as Belmullet Community Hospital. The district hospital in Belmullet and Áras Deirbhle, Belmullet provide, and will continue to provide, very important services to the people of north Mayo. I am advised that the HSE has been examining a number of measures which are aimed at bringing its expenditure on health services for older people across Community Healthcare West back into line with their allocated budget.

As part of this process the HSE has been examining the usage of beds in Belmullet Community Hospital and has established that, on average, just 12 short-stay beds are in use at any given time to support acute discharges. This is significantly fewer than the number of beds that it is currently staffing. For this reason, the HSE has notified a number of agency staff that their services will no longer be required. The HSE head of social care services in community healthcare organisation, CHO, 2 has informed the Department that when the contracts of employment for three temporary staff in Belmullet come to an end in the coming weeks, they will be offered redeployment opportunities in other community nursing units. The HSE has a clear responsibility to deliver services within allocated budgets while ensuring that the highest standard of care continues to be provided to all patients in a safe and secure environment. This includes any decision on prioritising resources and the impact any decision has on the integrity of the services provided.

The primary focus has to be on patients. Quality care and patient safety come first, and all patients should receive the same high standard of quality-assured care. It is essential to ensure that resources are appropriately channelled and that the changing needs of older people are adequately addressed. In light of the important role played by the district hospital and Áras Deirbhle in the delivery of care, the HSE will keep the situation under review over the summer months and will reconsider the position during the autumn in preparation for the busier winter period.

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