Refurbishment work to start next week on Cork's Mercy mental health unit

Refurbishment works are set to begin in the Mercy University Hospital’s St Michael’s mental health unit next week, the HSE has announced.

A letter to public representatives, seen by The Echo, explained that refurbishment works in the acute admissions unit in St Michael’s are planned, to enhance the safety and delivery of care, and in line with regulatory requirements.

The works are scheduled to begin on Monday and are expected to last for approximately 44 weeks. During this period, the unit will remain operational but a temporary reduction in operating capacity will be necessary in order to vacate parts of the building to facilitate the refurbishment.

Temporary arrangements will apply for the duration of the works, such as that the Midleton/Youghal sector team will temporarily relocate to Unit 4 at St Stephen’s Hospital and the City North West sector team to the Adult Mental Health Unit at Cork University Hospital.

Patients from these sector areas will be admitted to the above acute admissions units for the duration of the scheduled works.

“HSE South West is committed to maintaining the highest standards of patient care and safety during this refurbishment period,” said a HSE spokesperson. “Every effort is being made to minimise disruption to service users, families, and staff, while ensuring that essential services remain accessible.”

Cork East Social Democrats TD and former clinical psychologist Liam Quaide told The Echo the refurbishment should have happened years ago. “While this announcement of long-overdue refurbishment works at St Michael’s Unit is welcome, it must be acknowledged that these improvements are years later than they should be,” he said.

“The Mental Health Commission’s inspection reports have repeatedly highlighted serious issues with the physical condition of the facility— from overcrowding to inadequate privacy and outdated facilities — all of which have a direct impact on patient dignity and care.”

The most recent Mental Health Commission report into the service noted “relaxation and recreational areas were confined and residents had no access to an on-site outdoor space”. 

A fire-risk assessment in January 2024 said the likelihood of a fire was high, largely due to residents’ illicit smoking in the conservatory, bedrooms, and toilets. This was due to lack of a garden space, but led to the conservatory often being locked at night, and even by day, to try and prevent smoking, further restricting communal space. It was also in breach of a condition of registration as the timeframe for completion of a fire safety works programme had not been met, and not all required ligature and fire safety works had been addressed.