During the Public meeting last night, it has emerged that while the Beech Unit will remain open, the cuts in Cherry Orchard Hospital are continuing. Instead of the Beech Unit closing, the axe is falling on the other units at Cherry Orchard Hospital: Sycamore, Willow and Laurel. A whole new series of patients and families are being affected. Although the exact figures are unclear as of yet we are aware that patients will be moved to private nursing homes from this weekend. Many these patients are suffering from Alzheimers and Dementia and see Cherry Orchard Hospital as their second home.

The HSE are robbing Peter to pay Paul in a cynical attempt to disguise their cuts, changing the wards and the names of those shuffled out to private care. Changing the names will not reduce the stress and trauma involved in such a move for patients and their families. This is another example of how the most vulnerable suffer from the Embargo on staff recruitment in the Health Service. There is a real human cost in all of this, which cannot be hidden by changing the names of the wards that face cuts.

Earlier today (14/07/09) the Campaign To Save Respite Services in Cherryorchard Hospital issued a statement welcoming the reversal of the decision to close the The

Local Councillors and patients’ families learned today (14/07/09)  from the HSE in Cherryorchard Hospital that the controversial decision to close the Beech Unit has been reversed. The Beech Unit will remain open for the foreseeable future. This has been the result of a magnificent campaign by the families, who care for the patients, and the local community.

However, there will be some beds closing for the Summer months and the decision on how many beds and in what units the closures will take place, will not be made until early next week.

The families whose loved ones receive respite care in the Beech Unit at the hospital are delighted with the news. Their loved ones will not be disrupted or moved and will remain in Cherryorchard respite care. The Campaign to save Respite Services in Cherryorchard Hospital has achieved some success in pressuring the HSE to change their approach to respite care. The HSE have reassured us that all patients involved will receive a service and disruption to patients and their families will be kept at a minimum.

But our campaign will continue to fight for every bed in Cherryorchard Hospital to be kept open by employing the necessary nursing staff instead of putting patients out to private nursing homes. Despite several requests to David Walsh, spokesperson of the HSE, who promised to give us the costings of employing nursing staff as against paying for private nursing home beds, we still have no answers.