New appeal made at Oireachtas Committee hearing to re-open Carrick-on-Suir's St Brigid's Hospital

The Save St Brigid’s Action Group has told an Oireachtas Committee that it has become more difficult to source step-down and respite care for older people since the campaign’s representatives  appeared before it in January. 

The group’s spokesperson, Susan Mullin, told a hearing of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Petitions and the Ombudsmen  on July 13 that it’s call to reopen St Brigid’s Hospital is “now more urgent than ever” as there is a “crisis” and more bed capacity not less is needed in the health care system.  

This was the second time the Save St Brigid’s Action Group came before the Joint Oireachtas Committee  to give a submission in relation to their petition of more than 11,000 signatures calling for the reopening of the hospital.

 It was the Committee's third hearing on the issue as a team of  HSE managers appeared before it in  February to outline the  reasons for the closure and answer  questions. 

Ms Mullins, who is a solicitor, reminded the Committee how St Brigid’s had provided respite care for families caring for their loved ones at home and step-down convalescence beds for people ready to be discharged from a larger hospital but not yet well enough to return home. She said the availability of step-down beds has “nose-dived” nationwide. 

“We are in a crisis for facilities for our older and most vulnerable population and yet the HSE continues to close small district hospitals that could and have, alleviated this issue over the years,” she argued. 

Ms Mullins cited some stark national statistics as reported by the HSE and national media to back up her case  She pointed to the bed capacity problems in the nursing home sector, which provide step-down and respite care. She said  16 smaller nursing homes announced their closure last year and there was a 466 reduction in bed capacity in smaller nursing homes last year. 

She  pointed out that only weeks before hospitals suffered recent record overcrowding, HSE figures showed there were 599 patients who were fit to leave but could not be discharged. Of these, 522 were in hospital for less than six months, and the rest for longer. 

Responding to Oireachtas Committee Cathaoirleach deputy Martin Browne, Ms Mullins said the rug had been whipped from under people requiring respite care that St Brigid’s previously provided. Home carers were getting no breaks because there is no respite care available. 

  “This has been going on for three years. We can see the toll it’s starting to take on people.” 

Meanwhile, Ms Mullins again highlighted the huge impact the loss of the hospital’s three palliative care beds is having on  the local community. 

She said figures provided to the action group by local undertakers show that between 40 and 50 people a year who have died could have availed of the former hospital’s hospice rooms. 

Ms Mullins highlighted the pressure that having to travel to St Theresa's Hospital Clogheen or Waterford University Hospital  to visit dying relatives receiving palliative care   was placing on people living in Carrick-on-Suir and its hinterland. 

She said many local people whose loved ones are in palliative care beds in Clogheen and  Waterford are more than 40 minutes drive away from these hospitals.  Families are anxious not to leave their loved ones in case they die while they are travelling to and from these hospitals.  

“There is no public transport from Carrick-on-Suir to St Theresa’s in Clogheen, which is an added difficulty. The stress the journey adds to people whose loved ones are dying cannot be over stated. “ 

  Ms Mullins concluded her submission by pointing out that with a growing aging population, it is incumbent upon the HSE to review its policy of closing small district hospitals and back track. 

“We need more beds for our elderly population and we need them sooner rather than later.”

She said more thought and creative innovation needs to go into making the smaller district hospitals work.

 If extensions are needed to modernse smaller hospitals, she urged the HSE to investigate properly and with an open mind whether it is possible. And she urged the HSE not to close district hospitals without an adequate alternative being in place.

 She said the HSE's responses to the Oireachas Committee’s enquiries about St Brigid’s closure, showed no proper consideration was given to trying to make St Brigid’s work. For example, no costings were carried out on modernising or extending the hospital. 

“We as a community, need our services back. It is the basis of Sláintecare to bring healthcare back to the community. We are open to a new site if St Brigid’s cannot work as it is but we need the HSE to be open minded too. It’s never too late to do the right thing.” 

 Tipperary Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill told the Committee hearing that  the families of two constituents contacted him about how their parents were ready to leave hospital but couldn’t because there was no step-down or respite beds available. 

“That is two cases in my office and I am sure it is the same in the offices of Deputy McGrath and others. We have a shortage of beds. We get figures every day showing how many people are on trolleys around the country. It baffles me that the HSE cannot see places like St Brigid’s have a huge, pivotal role to play in solving that trolley crisis. 

Deputy Cahill pointed to the huge fight to secure long stay beds in the Dean Maxwell unit in Roscrea and how the HSE was now in the process of doing something to sort that situation out after years and years of campaigning. 

 So while he knew the people of Carrick are tired and frustrated by the battle to reopen their hospital, he urged them to keep fighting. 

Deputy McGrath reiterated his strong criticism of the decision to close St Brigid’s and  told the hearing he would love to see Sinn Féin commit to reopening the hospital  if the party is in the next government. 

“I want that commitment to be made because the people of Carrick, south Kilkenny and west Waterford deserve it. They deserve these beds.” 

Committee Cathaoirleach and Sinn Féin TD Browne responded that the commitment they (Sinn Féin) were giving relates to the implementation of Sláintecare right across the board. “If each party implements it, we will not be sitting in these committee rooms arguing about what is happening,” he added. 

At the conclusion ofthe hearin, Ms Mullins thanked the Petitions Committee for keeping the St Brigid's Hospital closure  issue  alive. 

“We do not want the issue to die and the conversation to stop. We want to keep it alive because we want to find a way back either to St Brigid's or to a modified St Brigid's or a new one. We need the services back,” she saidl  

Deputy Browne assured her the Committee wouldn’t let the matter go. 

“We will have the HSE before the committee and, as was said earlier, we will try to get the Minister in after that. The buck stops with the Minister. The HSE is the Minister’s responsibility.” 

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Petitions and the Ombudsmen hearing  and was also attended by other Save St Brigid’s Hospital campaigners including  Carrick-on-Suir councillors David Dunne and Kieran Bourke, Elaine Wall and Margo Kavanagh