Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Colm Burke for raising this very important health issue. I am taking this matter on behalf on my colleague, Deputy Jim Daly, Minister of State with special responsibility for mental health and older people. 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. Short-term beds including respite and rehabilitation beds contribute to the provision of an integrated model of care for older people enabling them to return home following a period of hospital care or postponing admission to long-stay residential care.

The Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of health and personal social services, including those at facilities such as St. Patrick’s Community Hospital, Fermoy. St Patrick’s provides long-term, respite, convalescent and palliative care. It was registered with the Health Information and Quality Authority on 28 June 2015 for a period of three years. The hospital normally caters for people over 65 years of age but also provides care to a number of young chronically ill sick patients and palliative care to adults. These are important services.

The Senator will be aware that the five-year capital programme announced last year includes refurbishment works at St. Patrick’s Community Hospital. Challenges have emerged in the last few months, however, in respect of medical cover at the hospital which is provided by three local GP practices. One practice provides this service three days a week. The remaining two practices provide the service on the fourth and fifth days. Following the resignation of a medical officer in 2017, the Health Service Executive managed, with great difficulty, to engage another GP to provide the service. However, in September 2017 a second medical officer retired. Despite strenuous efforts to engage another GP in the area the HSE, unfortunately, has been unable to source GP cover for the fifth day. This is the core problem. Contact was made with GPs in and around Fermoy and as far as Glanmire and a general email to all GPs in the GP training scheme was also sent out through UCC. To date, no GP has expressed an interest in the post as they are unable to commit to the time involved due to the demands in their own practices. Nor has the HSE been able to get agency cover.

The HSE has assured the Department of Health that efforts are continuing to source a GP. In order to protect the 54 long-stay beds, respite service affecting nine beds in Fermoy has been curtailed for the moment.This service is now being provided by local nursing homes. The local public health nurse is liaising with families to accommodate their relatives in alternative facilities while efforts are ongoing to source GP cover. The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, has asked me to reassure Senator Burke that the officials from the Department will continue to monitor this position carefully and I have asked the HSE to keep me updated on progress. I will bring the Senator's concerns back to the Minister of State, Deputy Daly, as well.