Family plea for compassion after Owenacurra resident left 'worried' by trip to facility

Owenacurra’s closure – blamed on the fact that its facilities are beyond cost-effective repair – was first mooted by the HSE in June of 2021, with a targeted closure date of the end of October the same year. File picture: David Keane

A relative of a resident of the Owenacurra mental health facility has said they are “deeply upset” after their family member was driven to a hospital in Cork city without their next of kin being informed.

The relative has written to the chief officer of the HSE’s Cork/Kerry division, Michael Fitzgerald, to express their dissatisfaction after their sibling was brought to St Finbarr’s Hospital without the family’s knowledge on July 26. The family wish to remain anonymous to protect their relative.