CLINICIANS AND patients at St Michael’s psychiatric unit in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, received a surprise visit by Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health Kathleen Lynch last week.
Under plans to modernise mental health services, the 49-bed unit is due to close and be replaced by more comprehensive community-based services. In addition, acute admissions from the area will be sent to Co Kilkenny.
However, clinicians and local politicians are leading a campaign to prevent the closure of the unit, which they say would downgrade services for local patients.
Ms Lynch said she made the unannounced visit after learning that clinicians and others were planning a public protest outside the hospital and did not want to be “manipulated” by local campaigners.
During her visit she spoke to health professionals and patients at the psychiatric unit.
She later told clinical staff that plans to develop community-based care and close the acute unit was still the best option for patients.
“I think we can deliver better services in more appropriate settings by taking patients out of long-stay institutions and providing fully geared-up multi-disciplinary care,” Ms Lynch said following the meeting.
“Large institutions or locked wards aren’t the best option for many patients,” she added.
Ms Lynch said these plans followed on from the recommendations of A Vision for Change, the Government’s blueprint for modernising mental health services.
In addition, she pledged that multi-disciplinary community services would be fully developed in the area prior to the closure of St Michael’s Unit.
Speaking after the meeting, Dr Alan Moore of St Michael’s Unit said staff had urged the Minister to consider carefully the financial implications of moving the facility.
He said in the absence of formal costings, clinicians had estimated that it would cost at least 10 per cent more to send patients to Kilkenny rather than maintaining a smaller 25-bed unit in Clonmel.
Dr Moore also insisted that calls by clinicians to maintain a smaller unit in Clonmel were supported by the findings of A Vision for Change.
Moving patients to Kilkenny would cause unnecessary hardship for local patients and their families, according to Dr Moore.
“We really feel the Minister was listening to our concerns and was essentially presented with a very valuable compromise which fits with our own plans to reduce beds,” Dr Moore said.
