New community nursing units are being developed in Cork as part of a 112 million euro investment by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to enable patients transfer to more appropriate care facilities when they no longer need acute hospital care.

The units which are proposed for St Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital, Ballincollig and Faranlee Road, will provide an additional 250 public extended care beds and will provide substantial support to the acute hospital sector in particular Cork University Hospital, Mercy University Hospital and South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital in providing an integrated, timely and appropriate discharge of older persons to community care facilities; as well as reducing the existing waiting lists for long stay care within the community.

The new units will provide public high quality long-stay, therapeutic, rehabilitative and medical care for older people with an integrated holistic approach that will place the older person and their needs at the centre. Patients and their families are the focus of the approach and patients and clients will receive care on a residential and day case basis including wound management, health promotion and routine investigative services. While the paramedical services ensure they receive services such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, clients also have access to assistance including chiropody and hairdressing, depending on the unit.

Mr Pat Healy, Assistant National Director, PCCC directorate, HSE South said "we know that older people are more likely to choose to remain at home for as long as possible and on that basis we have a wide range of supports to facilitate this. These include Community intervention Teams, Home Care packages, home helps and respite facilities. However, when this becomes more challenging, or when individuals require care following hospital discharge, we can support and assist them through facilities and services at our Community Nursing Units."

Application to seek full planning permission for each site will be submitted in early January. The HSE has already secured outline planning permission for these sites therefore delays in processing applications for full planning permission are not anticipated.

The reconfiguration of the old Maternity Unit in St. Finbarr's Hospital site is proceeding and an additional 37 bedded unit will open in the first quarter of the New Year.

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