Hopes rise for deal on local hospice

Almost a year on from the reinstatement of the 'Save Our Hospice' campaign, South Westmeath Hospice is hopeful that within three months it will have an agreement signed with the HSE to safeguard its future within the proposed new community nursing unit in Clonbrusk.

Last January the voluntary group restarted the campaign in the run-up to the election after criticising HSE “inaction” during the previous six months to secure the future of the four-bed unit. The controversy originally erupted in early August of 2019 when the HSE tabled its controversial proposal to close South Westmeath Hospice in Athlone and replace it with two-bed palliative care unit in Clonbrusk, a long-term replacement for St Vincent's. However, a massive public campaign of protest led to the plan to shut the two-storey hospice facility being withdrawn.

The hospice first opened ten years ago after a major local fundraising effort secured over €1.4 million to build the unit, which is supported in staffing and other costs by the HSE.

Since then, the hospice and the HSE have been engaged in discussions on the future of the unit, and after many and ups and downs there now seems to some light at the end of the tunnel.

While it had been thought that a final agreement might have been ready prior to Christmas before Pat Bennett, the Chief Officer CHO8 from the HSE retired, that wasn't possible because national approval is needed for a separate entrance for the hospice within the new facility. He has since been replaced by Sarah McBride.

Covid-19 restrictions have also slowed down the process considerably and it has been stalled somewhat since November, however, spokesperson Joe Whelan stressed that the group is happy with what's been agreed to date but he emphasised there is nothing written or signed.

“It will as far as possible mirror what we have already,” explained Mr Whelan, saying that means it will be a separate entity with its own identity, its own corridor and facilities, some of which, like storage, meeting room and so on may be shared with the nursing unit.

The group's engineer Johnny Duncan from Malachi Cullen Engineers has worked with the HSE to come with an agreed design to accommodate the four-bed unit.

“First of all, the hospice will be continue in the new unit, we want to ensure in the future there is no threat to the unit. That's why we want a legal agreement once everything is agreed.

In that respect, the group has engaged Tormeys solicitors and a draft legal document is currently being drawn up to be presented to the HSE at a later stage.

While it is waiting on the green light from HSE estates nationally on the separate entrance issue before the process can progress any further, the South Westmeath Hospice spokesperson stressed a lot has been accomplished since this time last year.

"From the initial meeting since the HSE tried the change, and they disagreed with our language, to utterly change the hospice unit, we've come a long way. We have agreed that the four-bed unit and facilities will be a separate entity, we're now just fine tuning the details, and I'd be hopeful within three months we'll have an agreement signed and sealed."

In saying that, Mr Whelan acknowledged that the health service is trying to deal with the third wave of a deadly pandemic, and staff are being pulled from all areas to try and fight the rising Covid-19 threat, something that is slowing down progress on the hospice issue and other projects.

In the meantime, he stressed the hospice will operate as usual in the grounds of St Vincent's Care Centre.

"What currently exists in St Vincent's will continue until the new unit is functioning," he underlined on Monday.

A query to the HSE on where plans for the new 50-bed community nursing unit in Clonbrusk which would replace St Vincent's Care Centre currently stand has yet to be answered.

The HSE previously stated the 50-bed development would replace St Vincent's in 2022, with work starting on the Clonbrusk site in the first quarter of 2021.