HSE abandoning care of older people – Deputy Seán Crowe

Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe has accused the Health Service Executive (HSE) of abandoning older people by closing down its own directly provided residential care services in nursing homes.

He was speaking after the news that Abbeyleix Hospital in Co. Laois is to close less than a month after the announced closure of the HSE run St. Brigid’s Nursing Home at Crooksling, Co. Dublin.

Deputy Crowe said:
“In the past month the HSE has announced the closure of two nursing homes which confirms that the Minister for Health, James Reilly, TD, and the HSE are presiding over a policy of privatisation of care for older people. Both Abbeyleix Hospital in Co. Laois and St. Brigid’s, Crooksling, Co. Dublin are to shut down as homes for older people. This is causing upset and major inconvenience to infirm residents and their families, as well as further reducing the bed capacity in the healthcare system.

“The latest closure at Abbeyleix will remove 45 long-stay beds and axe a vital facility from the healthcare infrastructure of the Midlands. This follows the equally callous and unnecessary closure of Loughloe House in Athlone last year.

“The HSE’s Regional Manager was unable to say how much this closure would ‘save’ the HSE. With some patients being moved to private care it may well entail substantial additional costs.

“The closure of St. Brigid’s, Crooksling comes after the HSE spent some €2 million on upgrading the home. 89 patients, 66 of them high dependency, are to be moved elsewhere. A facility at Inchicore has been earmarked for high dependency residents but the facility is not equipped to deal with the number of residents transferring from St Brigid’s.

“These closures are part of the drive by the HSE to privatise all nursing home care for older people. The HSE and the Minister for Health are effectively abandoning their duty of care with their determination to press head and privatise the care home sector regardless of the consequences. This policy should not be allowed to continue.”