The entrance to St Vincent’s Care Centre in Athlone. Its services are set to transfer to the new Community Nursing Unit in Clonbrusk next year, and the long-term plan for the site is not yet known.

HSE to seek 'appropriate' future use for St Vincent's site in Athlone

Adrian Cusack

Published: Thu 17 Jul 2025, 5:41 PM

The HSE has said it's carrying out a review of its accommodation needs in Westmeath, and that this will assist in finding an "appropriate" future use for the St Vincent Care Centre site in Athlone.

In recent weeks it emerged that the replacement facility for St Vincent's, the new 50-bed Community Nursing Unit in Clonbrusk, will not open this year despite its construction having reached an advanced stage.

A HSE spokesperson stated that residents from St Vincent's will move into the new facility - which is being named 'Heartlands Community Centre' - in 2026, following the handover of the new building and its registration with the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

When asked by the Westmeath Independent about the future of the prominent St Vincent's site, a HSE spokesperson said: "A review of all accommodation needs in Westmeath is ongoing across all HSE services in the area.

"When complete, the review will enable HSE Midlands to put an appropriate plan in place for the future use of the St Vincent's site."

In recent years the South Westmeath Hospice committee expressed opposition to hospice services being moved from the present facility, on the St Vincent's site, to the new community nursing unit.

The hospice committee and the HSE entered a mediation process in an effort to resolve the dispute - but to date neither side has publicly outlined the agreed outcome of the mediation process.

The HSE this week said it had "concluded mediation discussions" with "the South Westmeath Foundation, formerly the South Westmeath Hospice committee".

However, it said, it was "not currently in a position to comment further" on the outcome of the mediation process.

'South Westmeath Hospice' signage is now in place outside the new Community Nursing Unit, and the HSE spokesperson reiterated that "four level 2 palliative care support beds" would be incorporated in the new facility.

"The HSE will continue to work with the South Westmeath Foundation in the delivery of palliative care services at the new Nursing Care Unit," the spokesperson added.

South Westmeath Hospice chairperson Clare Lennon told the Westmeath Independent it hoped to be in a position to outline its future plans in the coming weeks.

Clare Lennon of the South Westmeath Hospice committee.

"The board of South Westmeath Hospice wish to thank the public for their unwavering support and their tireless fundraising efforts to benefit the provision of palliative care services in South Westmeath," Ms Lennon stated.

"The board remain steadfast in their commitment to continue the compassionate palliative care services provided by the hospice.

"We will be better positioned to issue a more informative statement to set out our future plans for the hospice in the coming weeks," the statement on behalf of the hospice committee concluded.