HSE chief confirms community nursing units may face closure

HSE Chief Executive Cathal Magee as confirmed that some community nursing units may face closure once a review of all facilities is complete.

Mr Magee told the Oireachtas Committee on Health this morning that, there are 5,880 long stay public beds around the country and two-thirds of them are below the required standard.

He said it will cost between €600m and €900m to bring those beds up to the required level.

Mr Magee stressed that no decisions have been made but admitted there are significant challenges around the viability of the units.

"About 30% of those (beds), which is 2,000, are deemed to meet the required standards in terms of their physical environment," he said.

"A lot of these units - some of them are over 100 years old.

"So to meet the standards would require significant capital investment - depending on the number between the range of €600m and €900m."

Also speaking at the committee this morning the Health Minister James Reilly reiterated the Government's commitment to community nursing care.

However he said it is a cause for concern that a private long-stay bed costs €850 while the same bed for a public patient is €1,350.

"It is very much our policy that we retain our public involvement in long-term care," Minister Reilly said.

"There is no question of a policy of removing all long-term care into the private sector.

"But we have to be realistic and we have to ask why 50% additional costs pertain in our public long-term institutions… for the care of the elderly, that don't apply in the private sector.

"We have to look at that, and we have to address it."