Nurses want GP service to pay rent

The union representing nurses at St Finan’s psychiatric hospital in Killarney has complained to the HSE about a private, out-of-hours GP service availing of what the union claims is rent-free accommodation at the hospital.

The union wants the HSE to charge rent for the public hospital and to invest the money into the mental health service in Kerry.

The SouthDoc GP out-of-hours services for the south-west region has had its offices and call centre at St Finan’s in Killarney since 2001, but pays no rent, branch organiser of the Psychiatric Nurses Association Cormac Williams told Michael Fitzgerald, regional manager with the HSE.