Written answers

Tuesday, 6 July 2010

Department of Health and Children

Mental Health Services

10:00 am

Photo of Dan NevilleDan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for Health and Children further to the Mental Health Commission report resulting in the closure of admissions units at hospitals (details supplied) the facilities being made available to patients who would be referred to the hospital following the closure; her plans to bring the admission units to a standard acceptable to the Mental Health Commission; if it is not planned to do so, when it is planned to close the hospitals as a result of the ceasing of admissions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29742/10]

Photo of John MoloneyJohn Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Mental Health Commission has attached conditions to the registration of St Brendan's, St Ita's and St Senan's Hospitals which, inter alia, require that all acute admissions should cease to these hospitals.

Acute Admissions to St Brendan's will transfer to Connolly Hospital later this month. The building of a 54 bed replacement facility for the remaining patients will commence this year and is due to be completed by mid-2012.

A new acute psychiatric unit at Beaumont Hospital to replace the acute admission unit at St Ita's, will also commence later this year and is expected to be completed by April, 2012. The local mental health management team is preparing contingency plans to deal with the cessation of new admissions from 1 March 2011. A number of other units in St. Ita's will be refurbished before 30 November 2010.

In relation to St Senan's Hospital all acute admissions will transfer to the acute psychiatric unit at Waterford Regional Hospital in 2011. In 2010/2011 the HSE will invest some €18m in the development of community based services which will include a crisis housing, high support residence and a community nursing unit. These developments will enable St. Senan's to close by December 2011.

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