Charity: Private care would be bad for sector

A SIGNAL from the Health Service Executive (HSE) that it may hand over nursing and home care responsibilities to the private sector will serve to further destabilise and undermine the sector, a campaigning charity has warned.

Dermot Kirwan of Friends of the Elderly was responding to comments made by the HSE’s head of communications, Paul Connors, who said the health body would explore the possibility of private nursing homes running new facilities on its behalf.

Mr Kirwan said if this was the case the financial viability of private nursing home and home care firms operating in Ireland must be tested to ensure people are not left without adequate care.