Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 April 2023
603. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the precise obligations of the HSE in respect of residents of the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton in respect of the closure of that service, and the obligations of the Mental Health Commission as an oversight body; whether each entity has fulfilled their obligations to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19465/23]
View answerIn response to the query raised by the Deputy about the Owenacurra Centre, Midleton, the Minister sought assurances from both the HSE and the Mental Health Commission that they had fulfilled their respective obligations.
The HSE provided the following assurances to the Minister as set out below:
“The HSE CKCH MHS deliver services in line with the requirements for compliance with the regulations as set out by the Mental Health Commission.
The role of the Mental Health Commission (MHC) is to regulate in-patient mental health services, protect the interests of people who are involuntarily admitted, and set standards for high quality and good practices across mental health services. Queries on whether the Mental Health Commission has fulfilled their obligations should be referred to them directly.
The Owenacurra Centre is a single storey mental health service that provides continuing care in an approved centre unit in Midleton in County Cork. The service is provided by CKCH Mental Health Services and it is registered with the Mental Health Commission to deliver an inpatient care service for up to 24 people for Long Stay Psychiatry of Later Life Mental Health Rehabilitation/Continuing Mental Health Care Rehabilitation. There are 6 people residing in the service at present.
Unfortunately, as CKCH Mental Health Services moved to the advanced planning phase for works to the Centre, serious concerns emerged that any level of refurbishment could not bring the building to the standards required. Advice from construction experts led the HSE to take the difficult but necessary decision to plan a close for the Centre, in a coordinated resident-centred way.
The HSE will provide a new 10-bed rehabilitative residential unit in Midleton town. This service will have 24 hour staffing, and will have a focus on support people to return to their homes and communities. A development team will be appointed to conduct an options appraisal, and engage with people using mental health services in the area. The Owenacurra site will be among the possible locations considered.
We have also purchased a property in Midleton which will be a community residence for Mental Health Services. The property will support 3 people from the Owenacurra Centre.
The Owenacurra day service has now reopened and at a new location in Pairc an Aonaigh housing estate in Midleton. The HSE are examining the best permanent location – this may be on the site of the existing Community Hospital where considerable redevelopment is underway.
The plan for residential mental health services in the East Cork area will ultimately deliver a modern service into the future and in line with government policy.
The process of finding the most appropriate alternative placements for residents and the remaining residents is ongoing. The HSE priority is to ensure that the most optimal placements are progressed.
The Multi-Disciplinary Team within the Owenacurra Centre continues to work with each resident and their families in this regard.
Meetings have been scheduled with families and residents to determine the will and preference of each resident and this includes ongoing engagements with all residents to offer support and assurances.
A series of assessments were completed for all residents prior to identification on their place of transfer and those residents who have moved did so on a phased basis following this detailed consultation and discussion process. All residents also have weekly access to a Peer Advocate from the Irish Advocacy Network .”
The Minister would like to remind the Deputy that the Mental Health Commission is an independent regulator established under the Mental Health Act 2001. The Commission has statutory responsibility for supporting and assisting in the development and improvement of mental health services. The Department receives regular inspection reports from the Commission in relation to approved centres, as well as annual thematic reviews. In response to the seeking of assurances by the Department in this regard, the Mental Health Commission assured the Minister that the Mental Health Commission has complied with all of its statutory obligations.
