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Baggot Street Hospital to close all in-patient beds

Thursday, 26 June 2008

Health activists are demanding to meet with Minister Mary Harney after the Health Services Executive (HSE) confirmed last week that it is to close all existing in-patient beds at Baggot Street Hospital on health and safety grounds.
In a letter to a local campaigner, a HSE official stated that all in-patient beds, both long-term and respite, would be transferred to Clonskeagh Hospital.
David Walsh, local health manager for Dublin South East, said in the letter: “This move is being effected in the best interests of the patients as the Baggot Street location has been increasingly unsuitable as a facility for in-patient care.
“Issues relating to health and safety and access to outdoor areas have become an increasing cause for concern and it is clear that the facility will not meet with the new standards for long-stay units that are soon to be introduced.”

He added: “All other services located in Baggot Street Community Hospital will remain in place for the foreseeable future.”
The hospital, formerly known as the Royal City of Dublin Hospital, Baggot Street, was built in 1832.
It is unclear when the move will take place but a spokesperson for the HSE said the remaining in-patient services would be transferred to Clonskeagh as soon as an agreement is reached with the nursing staff at Baggot Street regarding the transfer.
There are currently 16 long-stay patients remaining at Baggot Street Hospital.
The health facility provides a number of services - including stroke, mental health, physiotherapy and addiction - for day patients and the HSE has indicated that these will remain at the hospital.
The HSE spokesperson added that the hospital is capable of meeting the standards set for day patients availing of these services but that standards for residential in-patient services were higher and therefore unlikely to be met.
Damien Cassidy of the Ringsend, Irishtown and Sandymount Environmental Group, received the letter from Mr Walsh last week after making representations to the HSE on behalf of a number of elderly patients at the hospital.
He said he was going to write to Health Minister Mary Harney in a bid to persuade her to reverse the decision.
“People in the area are very concerned about their old folk because they want them to be within walking distance of reasonable public transport for visitation purposes,” he said.
“They don’t want them sent to Clonskeagh where it takes two buses to get out there. Some of these people are in their nineties.”
He added: “There is a loss of sense of direction in the health service. This decision can be accounted for by no other reason. I am writing to the minister to say I am not happy with that letter and I am going to demand a meeting with the minister or senior civil servants about the decision.”

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