Martin to restore hospice grant after ombudsman threat

HEALTH Minister Micheál Martin yesterday indicated he would restore funding cut from a service for terminally ill patients, after the hospice involved threatened to refer the case to the Ombudsman.

Last March, the Northwest Hospice in Sligo added three more nurses to its home-care team at a cost of €186,000 so that it could provide the service seven days of the week instead of five.

The hospice said the Department of Health had promised it a grant of €155,000 to help cover the cost, funding which was to be channelled through the North Western Health Board. However, just days after the expanded service was launched, the grant was capped at €85,000, leaving the hospice facing a €70,000 shortfall.

The hospice met with Social and Family Affairs Minister Mary Coughlan during the summer and briefed her on the effects the funding cut would have.

It then raised the issue with Mr Martin during a meeting held in Sligo last September, but, it said, to no avail.

This week, it said it would refer a file to the Ombudsman as “a last resort”, if the funding was not fully restored.

It argued that the cut was unjustified, particularly in light of the health board showing a budget surplus at the end of 2003. Yesterday, however, Mr Martin pledged to address the issue.

In an interview with RTÉ Radio, the minister said: “That’s a very small amount of money. I’m not aware of the full issues there in terms of the health board’s situation, but €70,000... is something that we could certainly cover, yes.

“So we’ll sort that out.”

His department later released a statement saying officials would be contacting the health board “to discuss with the board issues in relation to the funding of the hospice’s home-care service”.

The hospice welcomed the development.

“We warmly welcome what the minister has said in terms of addressing the issue,” said spokesman Eugene McGloin.

The hospice, a voluntary organisation, is currently seeking a meeting with the health board to discuss its service agreement.

Mr McGloin said that, following the minister’s statement, the hospice would “seek to incorporate” the funding issue into that meeting.

The home-care team is the hospice’s principal service, having helped almost 2,000 families since its establishment in 1989.

Last year, its staff made 2,500 home visits to approximately 200 families.

“For most patients, being cared for at home is what they most desire; being surrounded by ‘the familiar’, by family and friends,” explained Mr McGloin.