A Cork politician is demanding answers from Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) regarding the prolonged closure of a specialized dementia care unit. unit 1 at St. Stephen’s Hospital Campus in Sarsfield Court, designed for individuals with dementia and co-existing mental health issues, has remained largely vacant for the past three years.
The 16-bed unit currently houses only five long-term residents, leaving 11 beds unoccupied. This situation has raised concerns among staff, families, and local representative Thomas Gould, a Sinn Féin TD for Cork North Central.
In response to Gould’s parliamentary inquiries, Deborah Harrington, head of mental health services at Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, confirmed that the HSE intends to resume admissions to Unit 1 following a “temporary pause.” She stated that the HSE is engaging with regulatory bodies and staff to facilitate this reopening.
“For the last three years, the dementia-specific unit in Sarsfield Court has admitted no new patients,” Gould told The Echo. “This is despite positive Hiqa reports and strong reviews from family and patients.”
“I have been raising this now for a number of months, as staff and families have been deeply concerned at the potential closure of the unit,” he added.
While gould welcomed the news of the unit’s eventual reopening, he emphasized the need for clarity on the timeline and the reasons behind the extended closure. He pointed out that individuals requiring specialized dementia care may have been placed in less suitable settings during this period, potentially incurring higher costs for the HSE.
“There are people currently in hospital or unsuitable home settings who could have been living here for the last three years,” Gould said. “Instead, the HSE has likely paid huge sums to private operators for respite and care while perfectly good beds have stayed closed.”
An HSE spokesperson stated that management at St. Stephen’s Hospital Campus is “eager” to reopen Unit 1 for new admissions. They explained that the pause in admissions was implemented to enhance the standard of care, a move reflected in recent positive Hiqa reports.The spokesperson reaffirmed the unit’s continued designation as a mental health residential unit.
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