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.
At a meeting with the families affected by the closure of Beech Unit senior management indicated that employment of seven nurses and five care assistants would prevent these cutbacks. It seems like a small price to pay to maintain patient’s dignity and happiness. The families are determined to continue this fight until all respite services are safe at Cherry Orchard Hospital. We are having a protest outside the HSE Headquarters on Thursday the 16th of July at 12pm to fight to stop these new families from having their loved ones moved to private nursing homes and away from the familiar surroundings. There will be a further protest on Friday 17th July at 3pm outside Cherry Orchard Hospital.
We call on the HSE to reverse all cuts in Cherry Orchard and to refrain from these cutbacks.
