Funding allocated for new mental health in-patient unit in Cork

Funding has been allocated to start on a new mental health in-patient unit to serve North and East Cork, the HSE has confirmed.

HSE senior management announced at a briefing for Oireachtas members in Ballincollig this week that they are working on a proposal for a new 75-bed acute mental health service on the grounds of St Stephen’s Hospital in Glanmire.

At the briefing, TDs were told that St Michael’s unit, located in the Mercy Hospital, along with unit four at St Stephen’s, will be incorporated into a single new acute in-patient admission service for the population of IHA Cork North and East.

Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide, a former clinical psychologist with the North Cork mental health services, said that acute mental health services for the North Lee HSE catchment are currently based in St Michael’s unit.

It covers a large area incorporating part of the city north of the river and out to Macroom, Blarney, Cobh, Carrigtwohill, Midleton, and Youghal.

Acute mental health services for the North Cork HSE catchment comprises of areas that include Fermoy, Mitchelstown, Mallow, Charleville, Kanturk, and Newmarket, and are based at St Stephen’s Hospital.

Renovations

The HSE is currently undertaking renovations at St Michael’s following repeated poor Mental Health Commission compliance reports.

Mr Quaide said it is not possible in the long-term to bring St Michael’s up to the standard required for acute mental health services because of site limitations.

Mr Quaide said he asked the HSE about the fact that “costly renovations” are underway in St Michael’s. In reply, the HSE said it envisages St Michael’s to be used in the long-term for an extension of general acute services.

The existing acute ward for North Cork on St Stephen’s — unit four — would also be replaced under this project by the new facility, with HSE management indicating that a design was being worked on and that it would likely involve three facilities with 25 beds each. Funding of €500,000 has been allocated for a design team to commence the project, with the capital plan to be reviewed and updated as the project progresses.

Evaluation

A comprehensive evaluation was completed on several possible sites in Cork city for this new build, with the St Stephen’s campus deemed to be the most viable and cost effective option. This purpose-built acute admission unit will serve the North Lee and North Cork catchments areas, which have a combined population of about 285,000 people.

Mr Quaide, who has previously raised concerns about the remoteness of the site and that it could be overly clinical, told The Echo: “I cautiously welcome the HSE’s announcement that St Stephen’s Hospital is the proposed site for a new acute mental health facility.

“If the grounds are not excessively hard-landscaped to accommodate the elective hospital development, they could provide significant therapeutic benefits through access to nature. It is essential that in-patients are not overly concentrated in one area, and that bed allocation between North Cork and North Lee is fair and consistent.

“In addition, public transport links to the hospital require major improvement to ensure this location is genuinely suitable for a large new acute mental health service.”