There are no plans to close the McBride Nursing Home in Westport according to HSE West executives this week.
The issue was raised by Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, councillor Austin Francis O’Malley, at an HSE West regional forum meeting in Merlin Park on Tuesday.
Cllr O’Malley was told by Mr Frank Murphy, ISA manager in Mayo, that the HSE “has not at any stage intimated to staff or publicly that it has any plans to close McBride CNU”.
In fact Mr Murphy said the HSE was awaiting approval for the filling of the director of nursing post at the home.
However Cllr Annie May Reape received less information to her question about St Augustine’s Home in Ballina where the HSE confirmed there are five beds closed.
Cllr Reape had asked about the number of bed closures planned, whether there were any planned staff reductions and what development plans were in place for the home.
Mr Murphy confirmed the five closed beds due to the non-filling of posts under the moratorium, “as management must have regard to safe levels of care”. But there was no further information forthcoming from the HSE in response to Cllr Reape’s other questions. Cllr Reape told the Mayo Advertiser that while Mr Murphy said he didn’t foresee any further bed closures at St Augustine’s, she would be keeping abreast of developments there.
In relation to bed closures at Belmullet District Hospital, Mr Murphy told Cllr Reape that 10 of the bed closures were due to five members of staff availing of maternity leave and were “short-term” and expected to re-open again in 2012 when the staff members return to duty.
He also confirmed that there were no more “immediate” bed closures planned for the three district hospitals in Mayo.
