The Health Service Executive has clarified that the Cottage Hospital in Drogheda, Co Louth, will remain open, but confirmed it was carrying out a review of the “nurse-led transitional care service” at the facility.
It follows earlier reports of plans to close 14 step-down beds at the facility.
Local TD Ged Nash said the news of the review was merely a “reprieve” or a “stay of execution” and nothing was certain about the future of the unit at the Cottage Hospital.
He had earlier this week expressed shock at what he called a “bombshell” decision to close the transitional beds.
Mr Nash said that staff at the hospital were told last Tuesday morning that they would be redeployed to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda within two weeks and the step-down beds would close during that time.
In a statement yesterday evening, the HSE said the hospital will remain open, but it confirmed that a review to examine the nurse-led transitional care service at the hospital had commenced.
“A key element of this review is to ensure that the beds at the Cottage Hospital are in line with the wider model of care for older persons in Integrated Healthcare Area (IHA) Louth Meath to ensure the effective use of services for the benefit of the people of Louth Meath”
The HSE said that no other services in the Cottage Hospital will be part of the review and there are no plans to close it.
“All services remain operational”, it said.
A protest, organised by Ged Nash, is still scheduled to go ahead on Monday at 1.30pm as he said that “nothing was certain” about the future of the step-down unit at the Cottage Hospital.