Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 6 September 2019
1351. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the actions being taken to ensure that the South Westmeath Hospice facility is protected and adequately funded going forward; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the HSE had planned to close the facility by the end of August 2019; and the reason for the decision in view of the fact that a large percentage of the funding to build the hospice facility was raised within the community. [36837/19]
View answerI met a delegation from the South Westmeath Hospice Committee on Tuesday 3 September to discuss their concerns about the HSE's proposal to realign palliative care support beds located on the St Vincent's Care Centre campus in Athlone.
A working group is being established by the HSE, which will include representatives of palliative care staff and members of the South Westmeath Hospice Committee, in relation to services on the current campus and to identify the future delivery of the service as part of a planned 50-bed Community Nursing Unit to be constructed in Clonbrusk, Athlone, as a public private partnership project.
No decision has been made in relation to these proposals pending consultation with key stakeholders to identify the optimum service delivery arrangements to meet local needs.
