Cobh Hospital Public Meeting 21st June

SAVE COBH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

Public meeting- Mon 21^st @ 8pm

in

Cobh Community Centre

Purpose- to inform the Public and seek support for an action group

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Re-designation from Community Hospital to Nursing Home

Funding being reduced by 25%

Why only 70% funding for a Resident in Cobh compared to 16 other towns in Cork?

Population of 20,000 and No hospital beds if HSE has there way!

“Fair Deal” funding means no fair deal for the elderly and infirm citizens of Cobh

Major socio/economic impact for families, staff and our community.

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Cobh Community Hospital

Cobh Community hospital has being a long standing Service Provider on the Great Island for the HSE and funded under Section 39 of the 2005 Health Act.  Service provision and levels of patient dependency is similar to that of Community Hospitals elsewhere in the region.  The type of patients accommodated the staff levels and pay rates differ greatly from Nursing Homes.

Previous HSE Policy (Aging with Confidence) clearly indicated the vital role of the Community Hospital with adjacent facilities.  Cobh Community Hospital was one of the first to meet these criteria.  The Board of Management were informed in October 2009 that future funding would be provided by the National Treatment Purchase fund (NTPF) who have been appointed by the Dept of Health to adjudicate on funding provision for the Nursing Home Support Scheme (Fair Deal).  The NTPF have finally advised that the maximum funding on offer will be 25% less than our present operating costs.  Cobh Community Hospital and other section 39 providers have repeatedly pointed out that our role differs from standard Nursing home facilities.  If a Community Hospital service is to continue in Cobh it will need a Dept of health directive to NTPF to review its present funding offer.

A conflict exists between the roles envisaged for Cobh Community Hospital between the HSE and the Dept of Health and to date it has been impossible to get clarification on what the Board believes to be a vital matter.  The reduction in funding has made it necessary for immediate savings to be made with certain proposals being put to staff members, there are however limits to the possible cuts as standards of care must be maintained.  If, despite the savings being made, the funding on offer is not adequate to operate the Hospital to the standards required, the Board of Management will be faced with the decision to start the process of closing the Hospital down.

The major socio/economic impact of closure  for the Residents, their families, the Staff and the wider Community of 20,000 people has to be seriously taken into consideration at the highest level within the Dept. of Health to provide adequate funding.  Cobh Community Hospital is an essential part of the social fabric of the Great Island Community.  The removal of the care of our elderly cannot be tolerated.