Against this background, the alcohol treatment unit at St. Brigid's Hospital, Ballinasloe, County Galway, officially ceased operation as a residential unit on 1 October 2003. The closure of the alcohol treatment unit has taken place in the context of the Western Health Board's overall development strategy for the modernisation and enhancement of addiction services in the region. The lack of referrals to the residential addiction unit over recent months was also a factor in the decision to reorganise the service.