Yet another delay in opening of desperately needed eating disorder hub

The National Eating Disorder Recovery Centre in Ballsbridge currently has six inpatients but has a waiting list of 50 other patients.

An eating disorder hub due to open late last year will not be finished construction until at least September.

There are currently just three public beds in Ireland for adults with eating disorders – in St Vincent’s Hospital. However, they are for people in the CHO6 catchment area, taking in areas of Dublin and Wicklow. The National Eating Disorder Recovery Centre in Ballsbridge currently has six inpatients but has a waiting list of 50 other patients.

Now, it has emerged the eating disorder unit at Mount Carmel Hospital in Dublin that was due to open in December, with its opening date postponed until June, has now been delayed further because of rising building costs which have delayed the tender process. The tender is for the conversion of a convent on the hospital grounds into an eating disorder hub.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

Correspondence received by Sinn Féin’s spokesman on mental health, Mark Ward, in recent days says that the tender process has been “delayed slightly as a number of clarifications were requested during the tender evaluation process". 

The process was due to be completed at the end of March, according to the correspondence. However, a spokeswoman for the HSE told the Irish Examiner that the tender process for the conversion of the existing convent into an eating disorder hub is still underway.

She added: “The tender process is ongoing due to rising costs in the construction industry. HSE Community Healthcare East and HSE Estates are endeavouring to minimise any delays that may result from this. 

As and when ratified through the requisite approval processes the construction duration will be approximately six months.

This means it will be at least September before the work is completed.

Mr Ward has criticised the delay, saying: “There is a complete lack of urgency to tackle eating disorders. The amount of people presenting for treatment with eating disorders has increased over the last few years. 

"Figures published by the HRB show a 61% rise in 2020 in admissions of children and adolescents to psychiatric units and hospitals for eating disorders and a 32% increase among adults.” 

He said that in other parts of the HSE, adult patients are currently admitted to local general adult mental health units. 

"I have spoken with families recently who feel that their loved ones do not get the specialist treatment required when admitted to generic mental health hospitals.” 

He is concerned that the development of the hub at Mount Carmel Hospital could result in cost overruns.

“I asked the HSE to provide me with the original cost budgeted for the Mount Carmel eating disorder service and the expected increase in costs due to the delay," he said. "The HSE informed me that it could not provide me with this information as the tender process is still ongoing.” 

He said there needs to be an assurance that the facility will open to patients this year and that the project will not result in massive cost overruns.