A LETTER from the West Cork Municipal District is to be sent to HIQA requesting that it reopen closed beds at the Aperee nursing home in Bantry.
Council members unanimously endorsed the motion tabled by Cllr Danny Collins (Ind Ire) at their monthly meeting.
Cllr Collins pointed out that the nursing home has already passed its inspection and now meets the criteria required to have it fully reopened.
After the meeting, The Southern Star spoke to Gerard Murphy, the receiver appointed to Aperee.
He said he had been ‘verbally advised by a senior inspector with HIQA that they would be cancelling its registration.’
He said the reason given is that the Health Information and Quality Authority is ‘not happy with its governance, namely that the business is being operated under receivership.
‘Our response is that if we cannot resolve this, we will take the matter to the courts to protect the residents and other stakeholders in Bantry,’ said Mr Murphy.
The Southern Star also contacted HIQA and a spokesperson said: ‘The chief inspector of social services was informed last year that Deerpark Care Home Ltd (as it was previously known) had been placed in receivership, and that the receiver was now responsible for the day-to-day operation of the designated centre.
‘In order for a new legal entity to become the registered provider of a nursing home, they must submit an application to register with the chief inspector. At this time, the chief inspector has not received any such application.’
In response to that Mr Murphy said: ‘As a receiver we have not been asked to make an application.’
Mr Murphy also repeated comments, made in a previous interview, that €750,000 has been invested by the receiver, and the previous owner, in bringing the fire safety regulations up to code.
Mr Murphy said that upgrade was signed off on April 10th and they are now in exclusive negotiations with a buyer who wants to run Aperee as a nursing home.
Cllr Danny Collins urged HIQA to sign off in relation to the registered provider, and reopen the 17 beds that are not being occupied. ‘These beds could be filled tomorrow morning if they were allowed to reopen,’ he said.
