County Clare Health Care Provision for Elderly being stripped away

Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey said today that health care provision in County Clare is under further attack by HSE West.

He made his comments in the context of intense speculation surrounding the future of Unit Three in St Josephs Hospital.

Already health care provision for the elderly in the County is under severe stress.

Deputy Carey has received communication from the HSE regarding services at St Josephs (see attached)

Deputy Carey said:

“We have an ageing population in this Country, the Mid-West and County Clare are no exception. Therefore, we simply cannot afford to lose any more public long stay specialist beds in St Josephs Hospital.  The bed numbers in St Josephs have declined sharply in recent years. Should unit three close, it would be another huge blow to the health infrastructure of the County Clare.

This proposed decision to reduce long stay public beds is being made at a time when vital home care packages are harder and harder to secure and when hours for home help are being restricted due to budgetary concerns. Against this background we cannot afford to lose these beds in St Josephs. I have written to both Minister Mary Harney and HSE Manager John Hennessey in relation to this matter.

The bed compliment in St Josephs is 166, these are vital long stay public beds. Elderly patients in Clare are now being channeled inton the context of intense speculation surrounding the future of Unit Three in St Josephs Hospital.

Already health care provision for the elderly in the County is under severe stress.

Deputy Carey has received communication from the HSE regarding services at St Josephs (see attached)

Deputy Carey said:

“We have an ageing population in this Country, the Mid-West and County Clare are no exception. Therefore, we simply cannot afford to lose any more public long stay specialist beds in St Josephs Hospital.  The bed numbers in St Josephs have declined sharply in recent years. Should unit three close, it would be another huge blow to the health infrastructure of the County Clare.

This proposed decision to reduce long stay public beds is being made at a time when vital home care packages are harder and harder to secure and when hours for home help are being restricted due to budgetary concerns. Against this background we cannot afford to lose these beds in St Josephs. I have writ