Rehabilitation service to open at former Cork hotel

A rehabilitation service is to open in Blarney next month, but a Cork TD has criticised the move, saying that the care will be delivered privately, and queried why plans for a nursing home were scrapped.

The former Blarney Hotel and Golf Resort, acquired by the HSE in 2021 for a reported €3m, will now operate as a rehabilitation unit. The Echo previously revealed that €23,781,421.59 had been spent on its redevelopment.

Last week, the HSE told Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould in response to a parliamentary question: “Operations at the refurbished facility commenced on January 2, initially focusing on transitional care residents.

“As of today, 15 patients are being accommodated in the facility. This phased approach ensures that operations are conducted safely and effectively.

“We are pleased to confirm that Level 2 rehabilitation care is scheduled to commence on February 1. 

“To ensure the highest standards of patient care, this service will be incrementally scaled, with plans to reach full capacity of 50 beds by the end of March 2025.”

Mr Gould said: “This is positive news for Cork. It is a pity it took this long for the facility to be brought back into use after purchase. However, hopefully this facility will now reduce some of the burden on the healthcare service currently.”

However, he said that there were still a number of serious questions outstanding.

“My understanding is that the HSE intend for this to be run by a private operator,” he said. “We need to know if this is still the plan.”

He added: “I am also keen to know where the nursing home beds, which were so clearly needed when this site was bought, will be delivered and when. The health service are constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul. 

“That is not a sustainable way to run a health service.”

Mr Gould also queried whether additional funding was needed to change the use of the building from a nursing home to use as a rehabilitation unit.

A HSE spokesperson told The Echo that there were no additional costs associated with this.

“Initially, this facility is being operated by a very high-quality private provider under an interim arrangement, and we will move rapidly to put more permanent arrangements in place,” the HSE spokesperson said.

“The facility has been equipped to a very high standard, and initial feedback from patients and staff is that they are delighted with the quality of accommodation. 

“Any service that is publicly funded must use its resources with agility and change use to meet the demands of our communities.”

The spokesperson added: “The building is suitable for a number of different uses, and there were no additional costs associated with the renovations for this change in purpose.

“Both national and local analyses have identified a requirement for an additional 350 rehabilitation beds across Cork and Kerry. The establishment of this service is a vital first step in meeting that need locally.

“Due to the urgency of getting this facility operating for the winter period, and the short lead-in time, the service is being delivered by a private entity. 

“It operates under a joint governance arrangement with HSE South West to ensure the highest standards of care and service delivery.”