HSE intends to close Limerick hospital

THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) said yesterday that it is fully committed to the closure of St Joseph’s psychiatric hospital in Limerick.

In a statement, the HSE said the number of patients at the hospital will be half of what it was one year ago in the coming weeks with numbers of patients falling from 53 to 27.

The HSE made its comments yesterday after the Mental Health Commission recommended the closure of the 186-year-old St Joseph’s Hospital as its inspectors deemed it not suitable for the purpose of providing care to its residents.

In its chief recommendation arising from a reinspection, the commission stated that the hospital is “unsuitable for the purpose of providing care and treatment to residents and should close”.

The reinspection by the commission team took place following concerns over a lack of multidisciplinary team care planning at the hospital; and the number of residents not having up-to-date physical examinations and the lack of privacy around some bed areas. The inspectors recommended “an urgent review of medication should take place in all four wards in the hospital”.

The general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), Des Kavanagh, said yesterday an agreement between the PNA and the HSE had been struck at the Labour Relations Commission for the hospital’s closure dating back to 2002.

Mr Kavanagh said: “It is unacceptable to our members that an old institution like this remains open. It is not good enough.”

He added: “Our members working at St Joseph’s believe that they have been left behind and forgotten by the HSE.”

The HSE said the Limerick Mental Health Service achieved the discharge of 17 patients from the hospital in less than a year.

A spokeswoman said: “This was achieved by transferring a number of these patients to high support hostels in the community and a small number to nursing home accommodation of their choice.

“As the patients in St Joseph’s have lived in the hospital for most of their lives, it is imperative that their discharge is managed comprehensively and sensitively. A further nine patients are currently planned for discharge in the coming weeks. This will reduce our inpatient numbers to 27.”

She added: “Due to the individualised discharge packages put in place for each patient our success to date has been very positive. All patients who are discharged continue to receive care and monitoring from the community mental health services.”