PLANS BY the Health Service Executive (HSE) to close a day-care centre for psychiatric patients in Monaghan town from the beginning of this month to cut costs have been deferred.
The centre, on the grounds of St Davnet’s psychiatric hospital, opens seven days a week to provide support to patients with mental health problems who are living in the community.
Joe Campbell, local branch secretary with the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), said staff at the centre were told in July it would close and alternatives would be put in place for its patients. However, no further information had been provided, he said. The PNA is due to meet the HSE to discuss the issue tomorrow. A spokeswoman for the HSE said the plan to close the centre had been deferred rather than abandoned.
She said: “We will ensure that the needs of the service users will continue to be met within Monaghan mental health services. Staff of this service will be redeployed to other areas of services in Monaghan to fill vacancies that have arisen due to retirements.”