LATEST: New community nursing home to open in Tipperary this October

Following the news on Friday that the HSE have confirmed that a community nursing home in Tipperary will revert to its original intended use later this year, TD Alan Kelly has reacted to the news. 

The unit was previously repurposed as a step-down facility to ease pressure on University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

"As everyone locally is aware I along with my colleagues Cllr Fiona Bonfield and Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh and with some other local representatives like Cllr Seamie Morris, the staff of St Conlon’s, the families of the residents of St Conlon’s, the Save Nenagh Community Nursing Home Group, Mid West Hospital Action Group and the general public locally have fought tooth and nail to reverse the decision of the HSE to take over our new state of the art nursing home in Nenagh and use it as a step down facility for the overcrowding in UHL.

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"St. Conlon’s was home to many of my family members and this new nursing home is very personal to me as I fought as Minister to get it and to fund it and find a location for it.

"Over the last number of months I have been pursuing the HSE to ensure they would honour their commitment to open the Nursing Home later this year. I have got multiple answers on their plans and there has been great confusion.

Alan Kelly said that following lengthy discussions with the HSE last week, they have informed him of the following

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• It is their intention to finish the contract with the private company BARTRA that is running the step down facility this August.
• They will then have to re-register the building with HIQA as an elderly care facility which they don’t think will take long.
• They expect them to move current residents and staff from St. Conlon’s to the new Nursing Home in Oct.
• This will only be a long stay Nursing Home for approximately 50 people. There is no intention despite suggestions otherwise that there will be a 25/25 between a nursing home and a step down facility.
• It is the intention to open the other 25 beds at the same time as when the St Conlon’s residents move over. (or as soon as the new residents are ready)
• There will be a number of respite beds in the new facility to help families who are looking after loved ones.
• The HSE are confident that they will be able to staff the facility from the HSE staffing panels.

"I have told the HSE that the people of Nenagh and surrounds have put up with enough and these commitments and this timeline must be honoured. I want to thank everyone locally for their support and endeavours to help get to this point. People power won and this Government and their local representatives have learnt a valuable lesson that people will stand up for the elderly, their families and what is right.

"In other additional news the HSE have also confirmed to me that they expect the new 96 bed block in UHL to open this September which is good news.

"Furthermore I think it is important that we now think about as a community what services we require from the HSE and/or other agencies from the use of the St. Conlon’s building which is in a town centric location."