The HSE has poured cold water on suggestions that it could move services currently provided at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis to a regional site in Limerick.
Health officials are looking at the possibility of developing a new facility on a greenfield site, and expect a decision to be made by September.
St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis has the focus of close scrutiny over recent years, including by the likes of HIQA, and the HSE has to carry out upgrade works by 2021.
It currently has funding approved for a new 50-bed block to replace existing long stay beds, but concerns over the impact of a re-development have led officials to examine the option of building a new facility altogether at another site.
This week’s Council meeting was to discuss a motion by Cllr. James Breen, who suggested there was a plan in train to re-allocate the hospital’s services to a regional site in Limerick.
The discussion was deferred until next month.
However, the HSE has told Clare FM that this is not the case, and that any possible re-location would remain in the proximity of Ennis.
This would require additional funding, however, and the HSE MidWest hopes to put a proposal in to its National Capital Steering Group in August.
