Call for clarity on admissions to specialist Cork dementia facility

A Cork TD has called on the HSE to clarify when a residential facility, which caters for people who have dementia, will reopen to new admissions.

Unit 1 on the St Stephen’s Hospital Campus in Sarsfield Court is a dementia-specific unit for people who also have a co-existing presentation of mental health issues. It is registered to accommodate 16 residents, and provides 24 residential care hours.

There are currently five patients in Unit 1, all of whom have been in the unit for three years or more, and the remaining 11 beds have been vacant for three years or more.

In an answer to a parliamentary question from Thomas Gould, Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central, a spokesperson for the HSE has said the unit will recommence admissions after “a temporary pause on admissions”.

In a written response to Mr Gould, Deborah Harrington, head of mental health services at Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, said: “I can confirm that we are planning to recommence admission of patients following a temporary pause on admissions, and are engaging with the regulator in this regard.

“Staff will also be engaged with in this regard,” she added.

Speaking to The Echo, Mr Gould said clarity was needed as to when the unit would reopen to new admissions.

“For the last three years, the dementia-specific unit in Sarsfield Court has admitted no new patients,” Mr Gould said.

“This is despite positive Hiqa reports and strong reviews from family and patients.

“I have been raising this now for a number of months, as staff and families have been deeply concerned at the potential closure of the unit.”

The northside TD said it was positive news that the unit would reopen for new admissions, but clarity was needed as to when that reopening would occur, and why no admissions had occurred in three years.

“There are people currently in hospital or unsuitable home settings who could have been living here for the last three years,” Mr Gould said.

“Instead, the HSE has likely paid huge sums to private operators for respite and care while perfectly good beds have stayed closed.”

A spokesperson for the HSE said management in the St Stephen’s Hospital Campus was “eager” to reopen the unit for new admissions.

“We had paused admissions to the unit for a time in order to enhance the standard of care there, and that work is reflected in recent positive Hiqa reports,” the spokesperson said.

“We are now planning to take new admissions to the unit, which will continue to be used as a mental health residential unit.”