26 October 2017
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Minister of State at the Department of Health Jim Daly has confirmed that 14 transitional care beds are to be opened in Clonakilty Community Hospital in the coming weeks. The step-down care beds in Clonakilty will help to significantly reduce the number of patients waiting in beds in CUH after their acute medical treatment. The transitional care beds at Clonakilty which will be opened on a phased basis beginning in mid-November will be in addition to the 100+ long stay and respite beds already in use at the facility. The initiative beginning in Clonakilty hospital will be rolled out to two further sites in East and North Cork freeing up to 40 beds at Cork University Hospital ahead of the pressures expected there this winter.
Recent photo of Jim Daly TD, Minister for Mental Health and Older People. Picture: David Keane.
Speaking today in Clonakilty, Minister Jim Daly expressed his gratitude to the management & staff at Clonakilty Hospital and CUH along with HSE management locally and nationally who had all assisted in bringing about this development. “On becoming Minister with responsibility for older people, I immediately set about meeting with all relevant stakeholders to open up transitional care beds in Clonakilty to ease the pressures on CUH. I am delighted to see this dream becoming a reality and look forward to seeing Clonakilty Community Hospital going from strength to strength as it increases the range and level of care available to patients to convalesce post-treatment in CUH.” concluded Minister Jim Daly.
