HSE to ditch plans for residential mental health facility at isolated Cork hospital

St Stephen’s Hospital is situated about 11km north of Cork City.

The HSE is set to scupper plans to build a new 50-bed mental health residential facility at St Stephen’s Hospital in Glanmire — a move that is being welcomed by local mental health advocates.

The health service had spent more than two years planning for the facility, which was projected to cost some €64m.

However, at a recent briefing for elected representatives in Ballincollig, the HSE confirmed that the project is now officially “under review”. It is understood the HSE is no longer pursuing the project, and will instead prioritise the development of acute mental health services at the site.

The planned 50-bed unit had been criticised by some mental health advocates locally given its remote location. It had appeared at odds with the HSE’s stated preference that long-term acute residential patients be facilitated within their own communities.

A HSE spokesperson said it is “currently exploring options for a multi-purpose development on the St Stephen’s Hospital site in Glanmire to better meet the needs of the region. A dedicated review team is evaluating alternatives for this site.” 

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The spokesperson said that in doing so, the HSE was reflecting its commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which mandates that people with disabilities should have the right to live independently in their own community.

St Stephen’s Hospital is situated about 11km north of Cork City.

Social Democrats TD for East Cork Liam Quaide, a prominent advocate for mental health and psychiatric services in the county, had recently written to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, querying the suitability of St Stephen’s for a purely residential facility. 

He noted that the proposed location was “entirely at odds with the progressive trend that has been core to every national mental health policy” seen over the past 40 years.

In response, the commission said it had been calling on the State to prioritise community living for those in institutional settings.

Its chief commissioner Liam Herrick said it would be its “expectation that any plans to establish a new health facility (at St Stephen’s) would be subject to an Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment, in consultation with affected rights holders”.

Mr Quaide said he was pleased that the HSE now looked to be abandoning its plans.

“I very much welcome news that the HSE in the south-west are moving away from a proposal to centralise long-term residential mental health service provision on the grounds of St Stephen's Hospital,” Mr Quaide said.

“It is vital that alternative community-integrated settings be sourced, and that there is not a reflex move to transfer people prematurely to nursing homes," he said.