HSE proposes to close South Westmeath Hospice building by year end

The HSE has proposed to close the current South Westmeath Hospice building in Athlone at the end of the year and replace it, for the time being, with two palliative care beds in St Vincent's Care Centre, according to the South Westmeath Hospice Committee

The hospice committee said the proposal was raised at a meeting between its representatives, elected representatives in Longford/Westmeath, and the HSE yesterday (Wednesday).

The South Westmeath Hospice Committee, in a statement this morning, said it was “devastated and shocked” at these proposals.

“First and foremost, we reject all of them in their entirety and we will fight tooth and nail to preserve the facility and services that we currently have,” the statement said.

“We have informed the HSE that we will use every means at our disposal to safeguard the service and the interests of the people of South Westmeath.”

The South Westmeath Hospice Committee said the HSE put forward proposals that include the following:

- To close the current South Westmeath Hospice building at the end of 2019
- To provide two palliative care beds in St Vincent’s Care Centre
- To provide, based on need, up to four beds in a new facility in Clonbrusk, Athlone, if the HSE deem there to be a need

The current hospice building in the grounds of St Vincent's Care Centre, which at the time cost €1.9m, was developed by the South Westmeath Hospice. It was opened in 2010 and was largely funded by local contributions and fundraising.

Nursing and operational staff are provided by the HSE.

Established in 1994, The South Westmeath Hospice Foundation also provides funding for the training of nurses, salaries, specialised equipment and ongoing operational costs, as well supporting the nurses on the Home Care team.

The hospice committee statement continued: “The HSE told the Committee and elected representatives that the rationale for this proposal is around the cost of beds in the hospice. The HSE also stated that there is a difficulty with recruitment of nursing staff for the current facility.”

The HSE is proposing to build a new 50-bed community nursing unit at Clonbrusk, Athlone. However, it is not clear what funding is available for this project and when it will be completed. A planning application for the project was submitted last month.

Meanwhile, St Vincent's Care Centre's current registration as a nursing centre ends in April 2021, whilst a current condition of its registration is that its physical environment must be reconfigured by July next year to satisfy HIQA.

“The Committee is at a loss to understand the stance taken by the HSE and how they can propose proceeding with a 50-bed unit in the future when they can’t, by their own statement, staff a 28-bed one.

The hospice committee added: “The outcome from the meeting is that the HSE has agreed to shelve the proposals and have given a commitment that they will engage with the South Westmeath Hospice Committee and the elected representatives with regard to the future of our hospice.”

The South Westmeath Hospice also expressed disappointment at the “lack of consultation with regard to their proposals” and “the late stage of engagement with the South Westmeath Hospice Committee and the elected representatives of Longford Westmeath”.

It said it believed its frustrations will be shared by the people of South Westmeath and its environs.

The committee asked people to keep updated on information on the issue on its Facebook page.

It said it may may need to call on the public to support whatever campaign is required to ensure the best possible services for patients, their families and the community in general are maintained.