Thomas Pringle TD
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Pringle Claims Closure of Smaller Donegal Nursing Homes a threat to elderly population

donegalmentalhealth

In response to the Government’s announcement today that it is to invest in 90 public nursing home centres across the country between now and 2021, Deputy Thomas Pringle highlights his concern over potential closures of smaller centres such as those in Lifford, Ramelton and Stranorlar, to make way for the new Letterkenny Unit scheduled to open in 2021.

‘While more funding for nursing homes is good news, however, on closer inspection the funding programme announced today states that centres in Lifford, Ramelton and Stranorlar are to be replaced by a new Community Nursing Unit in Letterkenny. This was flagged previously but announcing it as part of a wider plan to tackle capacity issues is a contradiction on the part of the Government’ says Pringle.
‘The population of over 65s is expected to double in less than 30 years which means closing smaller units now will only leave us with the same capacity issues in the future’ explains Pringle.
‘This would essentially mean the Government is centralising nursing home care by closing down satellite centres to make way for a bigger one in an urban area. The Minister for Primary Care, Older People and Disabilities needs to explain how this will help towards establishing a primary care health system that serves people at the heart of their communities. I would like to know how this new spending programme will empower elderly people to be cared for within their communities?’ continues Pringle.
‘Another striking element of the Government’s announcement is that Letterkenny unit will be delivered through a more expensive option by public private partnership with only €0.6m to be spent this year. At this pace, how can we be sure that the rest of the proposed investment will materialise?’ asks Pringle.
‘Minister McHugh made a grand announcement that €30m was going to be spent in Donegal but he failed to explain that this will be over five years. The Government’s announcement won’t mean immediate results. Places like Dungloe Community Hospital will not be completed until 2020 and Letterkenny won’t see a brick until 2021. Too many questions need answering before this Government can begin to address the current crisis in our public nursing home bed stock’ concludes Pringle.
ENDS

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