End of 2022 for community nursing unit work to start

The HSE has revealed that it is aiming to be on-site before the end of 2022 to begin work on a long-awaited new 50-bed community nursing unit to replace St Vincent's Care Centre in Athlone, several months later than previously indicated last year.

That news comes despite the project, to be developed on a Public-Private Partnership basis (PPP), not being included in the 2022 Capital Plan published by the HSE last week, which usually details new projects and projects to progress during the year.

It was included in the 2021 plan prior to the “preferred bidder” for the Community Nursing Unit (CNU) programme nationwide, which includes the Athlone project and others, withdrew from the process in October last year. This left the future of the Athlone CNU project mired in uncertainty for some time.

A brief HSE statement confirmed this week that the “second bidder who accepted the preferred bidder status is currently working through the technical engagement process with the PPP Project Office” and it is the HSE's understanding “that they are aiming to be on site before the end of 2022”.

There is no mention of the relocation of the South Westmeath Hospice to Clonbrusk in the HSE statement issued to the Westmeath Independent on Monday. The hospice committee has been engaged in a dispute with the HSE about the long-term future of the service, and the matter has recently gone down a legal route.

The local committee has been fighting for like-for-like facilities to what's in place currently on the grounds of St Vincent's Care Centre to be provided in Clonbrusk.

The HSE is planning to close the facility and replace it with four beds in a new community nursing unit in Clonbrusk, but the hospice committee says the current proposal is not a like-for-like replacement and would see the loss of many of the services currently provided.

The new delivery timeline is already several months later than the last update in November of 2021 when the health authorities said at that stage they hoped to start construction in the third quarter of 2022 in Clonbrusk.

Initially, it had been hoped that construction on the Clonbrusk facility could begin in the first quarter of 2021, then it was pushed out to late 2021, but this latest timeline could be almost two years later than the earlier predictions leaving the latter end of 2024 or 2025 now a possibility for it to come on stream. St Vincent's Care Centre has been the subject of much criticism from HIQA for many years now, and the HSE has always stressed it has intended to replace it with a new modern facility in Clonbrusk giving residents en-suite facilities and greater communal and personal space.

“It is so important that construction starts on the provision of this 50-bed CNU unit in Athlone as soon as possible. It has been dragging on for a long time. My fear is that HIQA's patience will run out and their grace period for construction will not be extended further.” commented Cllr Frankie Keena, Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, who said he hopes that there is a significant increase in the budget for the project to counteract the increasing costs in building materials so there are no further delays.

Cllr Keena, a member of the Regional Health Forum – Dublin Mid Leinster, added that it is his understanding “that to date there is still no agreement as to how the South Westmeath Hospice facility will be included in this new build”.

The HSE confirmed this week that there are currently 28 residents in St Vincent's Care Centre, Athlone.