asked the Minister for Health if he is aware that some long term patients have been moved on very short notice from St. Brendan's Hospital, Dublin to St. Colman's Hospital, Rathdrum, County Wicklow; and that the move has made it difficult for their relatives to visit them; if he will state the reasons for the transfers; and if patients with relatives in Dublin will be transferred back to Dublin on their relatives' request.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Transfer of Hospital Patients.
25.
Mr. O'Malley
Three patients have been transferred from St. Brendan's Hospital to St. Colman's Hospital, Rathdrum. All three patients came originally from County Wicklow. The Resident Medical Superintendent, St. Brendan's Hospital, considered them fit to be discharged and as they were eligible for institutional assistance they were sent to St. Colman's Hospital. St. Colman's Hospital is the appropriate hospital for the giving of institutional assistance for patients from County Wicklow.
My information is that one of these patients had been a patient in St. Brendan's for about 40 years and the other, his brother, had been a patient for about ten years and that the home, such as these people had in Wicklow, had since been disposed of and that they were transferred after a few short hours notice and their next of kin in Dublin were not aware of the transfer until some days afterwards when they went on a routine visit. Having regard to the fact that these elderly people have no relations near them in Rathdrum and their only next of kind are elderly people living in Dublin, could steps be taken to transfer them back to a Dublin institution?
Mr. O'Malley
The Deputy will appreciate that under the section of the Mental Treatment Act, 1945, where institutional assistance is being provided, it would have to be in the functional area. I quite appreciate the point the Deputy is making and I am inquiring further into this matter. There are certain complexities and, if the Deputy will accept it, I shall communicate with him in the course of the next ten days.