Families protest against closure of psychiatric unit

MENTAL health service users in south Tipperary are expected to gather with their families at a public meeting tonight to protest against the planned closure of a 49-bed acute psychiatric unit.

The shutdown of St Michael’s psychiatric hospital in Clonmel was announced this year by the HSE, despite opposition from local consultants and GPs, who say inpatient beds will always be needed in the area even if home-based and community-based services are improved.

The HSE intends to move inpatient services covering north Tipperary to the Mid-West Regional Hospital in Ennis, Co Clare, and south Tipperary inpatient beds to St Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny.

It is due to be completed by next March or April.

Meanwhile, home-based treatment and an eight-bed “crisis” house are being developed for the area in a bid by the HSE to reduce the need for an acute hospital-type facility.

However, according to the Clonmel-based Save Our Acute Services Committee, this will diminish the mental health services available to the community in south Tipperary as psychiatric patients will have further to travel if they need to be admitted to hospital on an emergency basis, as will their families.

“There has been no account taken by the HSE of the views of the citizens of south Tipperary in reaching their closure decision,” said a committee spokesperson.

“To date the views of clinicians, including GPs, have been over-ridden and ignored.”

The committee said it wanted to “remind the HSE and minister” that the Government’s Vision for Change document covering the future of mental health services “clearly allows for the continuation of a local acute admission unit”.