I wish to share time with Senator John Paul Phelan.
Care of the Elderly.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I welcome the Minister of State. St. Patrick's geriatric hospital is much loved by the people of Waterford. The standard of care and attention given to its patients is second to none. The Friends of St. Patrick's, a group of voluntary workers, has raised funds over the years to provide additional comforts to the patients and to fund structural and other works which should have been provided by the State.
Over the past year, more than €150,000 has been spent on St. Brigid's ward which has 19 patients who are all high maintenance and high dependence. Much of this was provided by the Friends of St. Patrick's. It came as a complete bombshell to staff, patients and their relations and the people of Waterford when it was announced that St. Brigid's ward was to close as part of the HSE service plan for the HSE south region. Health and safety concerns were cited as the reason for the closure. However, no report or evidence has been provided to support this assertion.
Mr. Pat Healy of the HSE south stated a new 50 bed unit hospital will replace St. Brigid's ward within 18 months. However, no site has been finalised and no planning is in place. He stated categorically to Oireachtas Members present, namely, Senator Coffey, myself and Deputy O'Shea, that the future of St. Patrick's Hospital was safe. Only days later on KCLR local radio his boss, Professor Drumm, described the hospital as a workhouse and stated that the sooner it was closed the better and that plans were in place to replace the hospital with a 50 bed unit.
Professor Drumm's comments were an insult to all associated with this wonderful hospital, especially the staff who are rightly and deeply offended by his comments. The comments were strange coming from a man in the company of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, who only two years ago praised the condition of the hospital, the staff and the care and attention given to patients. It is no wonder the people are critical of the HSE and the Government when we see such U-turns and, may I suggest, stupidity.
The bottom line in this regard is that no section of this hospital should close until the 50 bed unit is in place. This is the situation as the people in Waterford see it. They will go on the streets to prevent this ward closure. It is an absolute disgrace. The people of Waterford and south Kilkenny in particular, which is where many of the patients are from, are absolutely disgusted with what has been suggested in this regard.
I thank Senator Cummins for providing me with speaking time. As he stated, many of the patients in St. Brigid's ward are from south County Kilkenny where I am from myself. The patients and their families are very upset at the prospect of the closure of the ward. I raised a matter on the Adjournment ten days ago on the closure of a nursing facility in Carlow, namely, Bethany House. The two situations seem to be remarkably similar. In fact, they are almost identical.
The HSE is discussing closing St. Brigid's ward before new beds have been provided. This is unacceptable. To be badgering, hounding and harassing elderly people in the twilight years of their lives in such a fashion is disgraceful to be perfectly honest. The HSE has become a monster. It does not seem to be answerable to public representatives or to any democratic influence. Sooner rather than later we, as an Oireachtas, will have to do something to take the situation in hand. The proposed closure of St. Brigid's ward in St. Patrick's Hospital and Bethany House, which are in my area, are two instances where people will take the situation into their own hands. We cannot have this type of dictatorship over very vulnerable people.
The people of Ireland have a very particular attachment to the place they call home. Let us be honest, St. Brigid's ward in St. Patrick's Hospital in Waterford is home to the people who reside there. It is not good enough for the HSE to suggest it will close it down and state that within 18 months it will build a new 50 bed facility. This is completely unacceptable. I call on the Minister of State and the Minister for Health and Children to intervene and ensure this ward is not closed.
I received many phone calls from constituents about the comments Professor Drumm made on my local radio station calling this institution a workhouse. It is a fantastic facility that many people in Waterford and south Kilkenny have used over the years and where their loved ones have been looked after fantastically well in the final years of their lives. For them to be so abused by the man who is supposedly the head of the HSE is an absolutely shock. I hope that in his comments the Minister of State will have good news on this issue for us.
I will take this Adjournment debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. I thank the Senators for raising this issue. It provides me with an opportunity to update the House on this matter and to outline the background to the current situation and the action taken by the Health Service Executive. I also want to reassure the older people concerned, and their families, about the future.
As Senators are aware, Government policy on older people is to support people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Where this is not feasible, the health service supports access to quality long-term residential care where this is appropriate and we continue to develop and improve health services in all regions of the country and to ensure quality and patient safety.
The Health Service Executive has operational responsibility for the delivery of health and social services, including those at facilities such as St. Patrick's Hospital, Waterford. The executive is working on an action plan to prioritise a phased programme of refurbishment and replacement of existing public nursing homes, where necessary, to meet the proposed new national standards for residential care facilities for older people. The House will appreciate that ongoing reviews are essential to ensure resources are properly channelled, and that the changing needs of older people are suitably addressed.
St. Brigid's ward is the last remaining ward on an upper floor of St. Patrick's Hospital. Concerns have been expressed about the ward with regard to health and safety and fire issues. The difficulty of evacuating high dependency patients from St. Brigid's ward in the event of an emergency has been highlighted by the fire safety officer. With this in mind, the Health Service Executive has decided it is no longer viable to continue to accommodate patients in St. Brigid's ward.
Patients currently accommodated in the ward will not be moved out of St. Patrick's Hospital. They will continue to receive their ongoing care within the complex. As vacancies arise on the ground floor, in consultation with patients themselves and their families, patients will be relocated from St. Brigid's ward to other wards within the hospital. St. Brigid's ward will no longer accept admissions. The HSE has confirmed it is taking steps to ensure the closure of this ward will not result in a reduction in the number of beds available in Waterford city.
The safety of the residents is our first concern. We owe them a duty of care. Most importantly, we must consider what is in their best interests. Each hospital, local health office, managers, clinicians and others working in the health services have a responsibility to ensure they strive to provide the best possible service to patients and other clients of our health services. I am sure the House will agree that the safety and well-being of older people is of critical concern. Quality care and patient safety comes first and all patients should receive the same high standard of quality-assured care. It is a matter for the HSE to deliver services both nationally and locally within its budget and overall health policy priorities in line with the overall resources available to it.
St. Patrick's Hospital will remain at the centre of public residential care for older people in Waterford city. The executive has a proposal for a new 50 bed community nursing unit on the grounds of the hospital. It is proposed that the planned 50 bed nursing unit will provide therapy, rehabilitation and medical care to older people who no longer need acute hospital care or who can no longer be maintained in their own homes.
The House will be aware that the management of resources and service planning is now a matter for the HSE in the first instance. However, the House will understand that any new capital development, such as the proposed community nursing unit at St. Patrick's Hospital, will need to be considered in the context of the overall HSE capital plan for 2009 and beyond. Patient safety is everyone's concern. I reassure the House that the decision to close St. Brigid's ward was taken with the primary focus on the care and welfare of each patient.
With respect to the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, he is only delivering the speech on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Harney. Much of the speech is typical HSE gobbledegook. The health representatives are even contradicting themselves. Pat Healy is saying one thing while Professor Drumm or the Minister is saying another. It is no wonder that the health system is as it is when two or three versions of events are being circulated.
There is no question that beds will be lost in Waterford. They are high-dependency beds for elderly people who need attention and care. Some of the patients in St. Patrick's will now be turfed into nursing homes where they will not receive the same care and attention.
I do not accept the reply; it is just not good enough that such rubbish is being spoken in the House. I am not in any way casting aspersions on the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, but I am angry over the closure of the ward. Many people in Waterford are very angry because their parents and relations were treated so well in the hospital. To have this type of tripe being put to us at this stage is not good enough.
Senators
Hear, hear.