Bed reduction claim refuted by HSE

THE Mid-West HSE has rejected union claims that up to 19 beds will be removed from the Acute Psychiatric Unit at Ennis hospital as part of the reorganisation of the Clare Mental Health Service.
IMPACT had claimed mental health services would be badly hit with the removal of 19 beds in Ennis and 26 beds closing in Limerick at St Joseph’s Hospital. It also warned that community mental health services would be affected by the closure of some high-support hostels and a reduction in day services.
Clare Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) representative Denis Meehan claimed 13 of the 36 beds at the Ennis unit are already being filled by patients from North Tipperary, following the closure of a mental health facility in Clonmel and queried where Clare patients with acute psychiatric problems would be treated if the 19 beds are removed.
The Mid-West HSE confirmed there would be a reduction of 30 acute mental health beds in the Mid-West, following the closure of 20 beds at the facility in Clonmel in HSE South, which traditionally served  acute mental health patients from North Tipperary. These patients are provided for in the Mid-West without new beds.
It also has reduced access from 50 to 40 beds in Limerick at its acute unit to accommodate major refurbishment, including the provision of a new high-support/observation area and other works. This leaves patients with 40 beds in Limerick and 39 in Clare, which is down to 36 at present due to patient dependencies and staffing availability in the unit.
Mid-West area manager, Bernard Gloster has praised staff for dealing with the increased workload from North Tipperary in the Ennis acute unit and noted the provision of a 50 to 60-bed facility, as recommended for the Mid-West in Vision for Change, would only happen when other community services are provided.
Mr Gloster said there are no plans to further reduce acute mental health bed provision this year.
“The changes referred to at Dalganish and other facilities in Clare, such as Gort Glas, are all clinically appropriate and have the positive consequential benefit in some instances of relieving pressure brought about by retirements. In other cases, they actually require investment, which will be made.
“It is surprising to see any reference in a concerned context to the issues at St Joseph’s Hospital, Limerick when the only thing the HSE is seeking to do is complete a plan to more appropriately place people away from traditional institutional sites. In St Joseph’s, we have come from a base of several hundred patients to 69 in 2009, 53 in 2010, reaching 28 in 2011.
“The HSE are fully committed to the closure of St Joseph’s Hospital. Limerick Mental Health Services have worked diligently to facilitate this closure.
“At the time of the Mental Health Commission Inspection in July of 2011, there were 28 patients remaining in the hospital. We have further reduced this number to 23 patients in 2012. This was achieved by transferring a number of these patients to high-support hostels in the community and a small number to nursing home accommodation of their choice. As the patients in St Joseph’s have lived in the hospital for most of their lives, it is imperative that the discharge of each patient is managed comprehensively and sensitively.
“A further seven patients are currently planned for discharge in the coming weeks. This will reduce our inpatient numbers to 16 (one ward). Due to the individualised discharge packages put in place for each patient, our success to date has been very positive. All patients, who are discharged, continue to receive care and monitoring from the Community Mental Health services.
“There is little doubt that we face changes and pressures owing to the economic circumstances, which manifest themselves in staffing issues and less money. That, however, should not be confused with the changes required to care for patients in the most appropriate setting possible suitable to their needs,” he added.