There has been increased pressure placed on the Health Services Executive this week to fully explain the reasoning behind its decision to close a city nursing home, a decision which has attracted wide-spread criticism and prompted objectors to launch a campaign which has so far received more than 10,000 signatures.
The HSE West took the decision in September last year to cease the use of St Francis’ public nursing home in Upper Newcastle as a residential care facility in the wake of an inspection by the HSE regulator HIQA, which made several recommendations in order for the facility to meet new nursing home standards.
However there has been much opposition with Labour TD for Galway West Derek Nolan recently joining the fray. Deputy Nolan this week called on the HSE to publish the facts and rationale behind its decision as soon as possible.
“There is no doubt that St Francis Nursing home and its staff has a long-standing reputation in the community and has played a strong role in supporting many Galway families. It is understandable therefore that there is significant public concern as to its future.
“Such an important decision deserves full disclosure and a detailed outline of the situation as it stands. I have written to the HSE and asked that they prepare such a report to clarify their decision and to outline all future possible uses for the site, including its continuation as a public nursing home. St Francis nursing home is currently home to 19 residents. The on-going care of these residents should be central to these discussions,” said Deputy Nolan.
Describing the closure of the home as utter “madness”, city councillor and member of the HSE West Regional Health Forum Catherine Connolly announced that a petition, led by her, has now received more than 10,000 signatures, including that of Deputy Eamon Ó Cuív.
Cllr Connolly said: “The feedback continues to be overwhelmingly positive with most people saying they simply cannot understand why the HSE West would close such a wonderful facility.”
“Even more significantly the manager of the Primary Care Service confirmed at a recent meeting of the Primary Care Committee in Galway that the main reason for closing St Francis Home is lack of staff in a country where there are almost half a million unemployed. At the same meeting Dr Nas,h who gave a presentation on the roll out of a medical assessment unit in University Hospital Galway to take the pressure off the A&E Department, confirmed that currently 33 acute beds are occupied by patients who should be in nursing homes but cannot be transferred because of lack of resources or lack of nursing home beds.” Cllr Connolly added that she will continue to call on local TDs and senators “to stop this madness and keep the nursing home open”.
In a statement received yesterday a spokesperson for HSE West said: “HSE management met earlier this week with members of staff and staff representatives at St Francis CNU. The purpose of the meeting was to advise staff of the changes that are going to take place in the nature of the services delivered to older people at St Francis CNU. Management have been meeting with staff representatives over the last 12 months or so to keep them apprised of plans in relation to this facility, and this week’s meeting was an extension of this process... Over the coming weeks, management also intend to meet with residents and their families to advise them similarly.”
