HSE ‘in no hurry’ to open €2m unit in Kerry hospital

The planned opening of a €2m, high-observation psychiatric unit — which has remained closed since last December, due to staff shortages — has again been postponed, a nurses’ union has claimed.

The four-bed unit is in Kerry General Hospital (KGH), in Tralee, and Ger Reaney, chief officer at HSE South, has said the opening of the Brandon will be reviewed, once refurbishment works in other wards are completed.

Independent TD Tom Fleming, who had raised the matter in the Dáil, was told works were being carried out at the hospital’s Valentia and Reask wards. However, Cormac Williams, of the Psychiatric Nurses’ Association, said Mr Reaney’s letter had indicated “the HSE are in no hurry, or have no immediate plans, to open the high-observation unit at KGH”.