Day care centre at Mayo hospital to fully reopen soon

Remedial works are being carried out at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Castlebar and they are due for completion early next year.

Once completed, the day care centre at the facility will fully reopen.

The news has been relayed to local Councillor Michael Kilcoyne by Breda Crehan-Roche, chief officer, Community Healthcare West.

She stated: "Currently the day care service is operating three days a week accommodating up to ten clients per day.

"Pre-covid the service operated five days per week with an average of 25 to 30 clients attending daily.

"Since the onset of Covid 19 and the need to implement and compile with infection, protection and control standards there are no respite beds available at present.

"The capacity is reduced in St Joseph’s Rehab Ward from 36 to 24 beds with rehab taking priority.

"There are ongoing negotiations with Saolta University Health Care Group with regard to St. John’s Ward which is currently being used by Mayo University Hospital.

"Community Healthcare West currently provides respite beds in Ballina District Hospital, Swinford District Hospital, St. Fionnans Community Nursing Unit, Dalton Community Nursing Unit, Achill and Belmullet District Hospital.

"The last admission for respite care was on March 2, 2020, and the patient was discharged on March 9, 2020. There has been no further respite provided because of that."

Ms. Crehan-Roche outlined the number of beds currently vacant across all departments in the Sacred Heart Hospital as follows:

* 74 Long stay beds – 12 available (taking patients from waiting list).

* 24 Rehab beds open and all occupied (no vacancies at present).

* In 2019, there were 52 admissions for respite care in the Sacred Heart Hospital with each patient availing of two weeks respite.