Palliative care unit set to open in Clonakilty Hospital ‘in weeks’

CLONAKILTY Hospital will shortly open its first palliative care bed.

The facility will be available to the entire community as well as hospital residents and will compliment the two palliative care beds in Bantry Hospital.

Prior to this, people in the wider Clonakilty area would have had to travel to either Bantry or Marymount Hospice in  Curraheen to avail of such a space.

Cork South-West Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Health, Jim Daly TD said the unit will open in the coming weeks.

‘Works on the new palliative care unit are almost complete and are subject to some regulatory approval, however it is expected the brand new state of the art facility will open before the end of this year,’ he confirmed.

He described the latest addition to Clonakilty Hospital as a ‘hugely important and highly valued service which, before now necessitated people travelling to Cork city for the care and they needed.’

‘I wish to thank the HSE management as well as Mary Nolan, director of nursing at Clonality Community Hospital and her team for delivering this service to Clonakilty,’ said the Minister for Older People who added that it was one of the main projects he wanted to get over the line before he retired at the next election.

The minister is also chairman of the newly formed Cairde Clonakilty Community Hospital group which will shortly be launching a fundraising drive locally to support the development of the unit.

‘This unit will significantly enhance the living environment for residents of the hospital in tandem with a €5.5m government investment in the hospital due to begin early next year,’ he said.

In further good news, the primary care centre in the centre of the town is also due to open shortly.

Meanwhile, Minister Daly this week launched the dedicated information phone line for mental health, Freephone 1800 111 888. The confidential, 24/7 service provides signposting to mental health supports and offers information on how to access relevant services.