Patients to be transferred without prior consultation

TO most of the people who live there, it’s not a hospital — it’s home.

But, in recent days the 42 long-stay patients at Heatherfield Hospital in north Co Cork were all told that they were being transferred permanently to St Stephen’s Hospital in Glanmire on the outskirts of Cork city and that Heatherfield is to be closed permanently.

The move will begin in under two weeks time and is expected to be completed in eight to 12 weeks.