Elderly care units get €80m green light

EIGHT new mini hospitals costing €80 million are to be built in Cork and Kerry in the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) to be sanctioned by the Department of Health.

Construction will start in 2005 and the so-called Community Nursing Units (CNUs) will cater for up to 400 elderly patients.

Southern Health Board chairman Batt O’Keeffe said each of the eight units will cost 10m to develop and will cater for 50 patients.