Áine Collins Statement on Millstreet Hospital – Tuesday 23rd February
Firstly I would like to assure everyone that Millstreet Hospital will continue to play a vital part in our community. The hospital is very much part of our Capital Investment Plan and it will improve and extend the Hospital. The funding we secured of €5.75 million to invest in the facilities of the hospital confirms this.
The funds are going to towards a much needed extension to the hospital, which will improve the facilities including the respite care beds. But with all renovations, there will be distributions and this will impact on the respite care beds and any patients needing respite care will be accommodated in nearby community hospitals and nursing homes to cause as little disruption to patients and their families as possible.
It must be so upsetting for patients, staff, friends and family of Millstreet Hospital to listen to some candidate’s scaremongering, using the renovations as a very cynical means to garner votes by exploiting people’s vulnerability, but I would like to assure everyone concerned, that improving facilities in Millstreet Hospital is a priority and I will make sure that these respite beds will be returned as quickly as possible, once the extension is complete. It’s not an ideal situation, but disruption is needed to give the people of Millstreet the hospital they deserve.
A clearer version of the above chart is also available on http://health.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/90-facilities1.pdf