Cork continence clinic needs HSE funding to add to charitable donations for 'vital' work

Padraig Mallon of the Crann Centre said: “We know that our services are saving the HSE significant money- up to €100,000 for each pressure wound which we prevent from ultimately requiring hospitalisation."

From left: Padraig Mallon, CEO, Crann Centre; Kate Jarvey, founder and chair Crann; Taoiseach Micheál Martin; Anne Rabbitt, TD and Andreas Moynihan TD at the Crann centre in July. Crann is now the only community service that covers both bowel and bladder incontinence, the Oireachtas Health Committee heard. File picture: Brian Lougheed

A Cork-based group is providing “unique and vital” continence training to nurses and special needs assistants (SNAS) to support people with disabilities but receives no State funding.

Crann provides a Continence Clinic, a service it said is recognised by the HSE and medics as being a unique and vital addition to services for children, adults and families with referrals increasing weekly. But it is funded entirely through charitable donations, Padraig Mallon of the Crann Centre told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability.

It has applied for HSE funding for the Continence Clinic, without which it cannot guarantee its continued operation, Mr Mallon said.

“We know that our services are saving the HSE significant money- up to €100,000 for each pressure wound which we prevent from ultimately requiring hospitalisation. We recently completed a Social Return on Investment evaluation which shows that for every €1 we spend on services; our clients receive €4 in value- a 400% return on investment,” Mr Mallon said.

Colette Cahill, also of Crann, said that a lack of community support around bowel and bladder continence services was identified when consulting service users and their families as Crann was formed by philanthropist Kate Jarvey to improve disability services and decrease social isolation for people with disabilities and their families.

Crann is now the only community service that covers both bowel and bladder incontinence, the Oireachtas Health Committee heard.

“It’s a human right to be able to manage your continence,” Ms Cahill said. “It’s almost the elephant in the room when it comes to disability. We have seen a 75% growth in services in the last year alone.” 

She said that Crann’s two nurses work with families to support them, and the organisation can also provide psychological and occupational therapy supports to better manage continence.

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Through their work, Crann discovered a gap where special needs assistants (SNAs) in schools were not being trained in continence care, so they developed a course, aligned with hospitals, which they have already delivered to more than 120 SNAs in the last 18 months, and to 20 nurses and social care workers to further support people with additional needs.

Crann has provided this training free of charge, but funding is needed to continue its vital and progressive services, it warned.

The Crann Centre, based in Ovens, was established in 2014 and provides services to some 300 families in Munster for adults and children living with a neuro-physical disability, including Spina Bifida, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, acquired spinal injuries and stroke.

Crann aims to support more than 600 families within the next three years, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Disability heard.

Mr Mallon said that more than 7,000 people in Munster live with a neuro-physical disability, with more than 20,000 family members whose lives are impacted — all requiring services and supports. Nationally this number increases to almost 100,000.