Kerry hospital beds back in service soon, pledges HSE

A hospital in Kerry will shortly return to near-capacity after one-third of its beds were closed for over a year.

Thirteen beds had been closed at Killarney Community Hospital to facilitate necessary works.

The HSE confirmed 11 of the 13 unused beds at the 39-bed hospital will be utilised from next month.

Local county councillor Michael Gleeson had called on the HSE to bring the beds back into use as work had been completed. Structural alterations and renovations have been completed but the beds remained unused.

“These beds have been utilised in the past to admit patients from Kerry General Hospital and relieve the pressure on beds at that hospital,” Mr Gleeson stated. “They have also been used to facilitate local families by providing respite care for their loved ones and also as intervention in cases of family crises.

“It makes no sense to carry out renovations to Killarney Community Hospital with the expenditure involved and then continue to keep the beds closed, precluding their use by people who require them.”

A HSE spokesman said an extensive refurbishment process was almost complete, explaining it was necessary to carry out upgrade works for fire doors, electrical systems, windows and the refurbishment of some rooms.

Some of the refurbishment works which took place involved dry lining of multi-occupancy rooms. The HSE said “the reduction of two beds was essential as it would have led to a very cramped environment for the patients within the unit”.

Two of the 13 beds are already in use and a further nine “will reopen in September”, the HSE said. It regretted any inconvenience to the public but said the work done would result in an enhanced environment for patients.

Killarney Community Hospital is a key resource in the management of older people services in Kerry, according to the HSE, as it supports direct discharges from Kerry General Hospital and some acute hospitals in Cork. It also provides community supports such as respite and GP access for the greater Killarney area.