Hospital beds closed for work

SEVEN beds at Skibbereen Community Hospital are to close temporarily to facilitate construction works, writes Jackie Keogh.

The building project – to bring the hospital up to Hiqa standards – will reconfigure one six-bed ward and two five-bed wards to create more four-bed wards for greater patient comfort. A spokesperson confirmed that when the work is finalised – in December 2020 – the hospital will continue to offer 40 beds for patients, and it will achieve this by adding seven new single rooms as part of an extension.

Local concerns that people are not being accepted for respite and palliative care was addressed by a hospital spokesperson. She said: ‘We would like to reassure the people of Skibbereen and the wider community that patients are being accepted at Skibbereen Community Hospital for respite and palliative care.’ But, during construction, it will not be possible to look after several patients with dementia at the same time. ‘This means that there will be times when it will not be possible to accept all patients for respite when they request it.’

The spokesperson said: ‘This development is good news for Skibbereen because when it is finished the town will have a very modern community hospital.’