The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly T.D. and Minister for Mental Health and Older Persons, Mary Butler T.D., have announced the awarding of the contact to deliver seven Community Nursing Units (CNU) under the HIQA compliance programme through Public Private Partnership (CNU PPP Project).
The CNU PPP Project will deliver the residential care facilities comprising of both short and long stay beds for older persons at facilities across the country.
530 beds will be delivered overall in sites at Ardee (50-beds), Athlone (50-beds), Clonmel (50-beds), Killarney (130-beds), Midleton (50-beds), St. Finbarr’s, Cork (105-beds), and Thomastown (95-beds).
Each CNU is made up of a number of 25-bed households including single and twin bedrooms en-suite. This model creates a person-centred approach focusing on quality of life; providing an environment that reflects the comforts of home, with assistance provided as necessary around the performance of everyday tasks. Each household includes a dayroom and sunroom, dining area, break out spaces, activity spaces, quiet rooms, external spaces and staff and nursing areas.
In addition, shared areas and therapy spaces are included with facilities including a family overnight stay room, clinical treatment rooms, physiotherapy and occupational therapy rooms and hairdressers’ rooms.
Dementia specific beds are included in Killarney (three ten bed households), St Finbarr’s (three ten bed households) and Thomastown (two ten bed households) as well as a Day Centre in Athlone.
Minister Donnelly said: "I am delighted to announce the awarding of this contract. These projects focus on the delivery of a quality health and social care service across the country in appropriate settings and within the context of climate action.
“This is an exciting, state-of-the-art development for older people and their families. It represents a significant part of the HIQA CNU programme, and the mix of long and short-term beds will enable a person-centred approach to support older people's quality of life.
“Awarding this contract will see the immediate commencement of construction on five of these sites, and the remaining two in the first quarter of 2023, with construction at all sites to be completed by 2024”.
Minister Butler said: “One of this Government’s key priorities is to support older people to age in place and live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.
“HSE Community Nursing Units are an essential and valued part of our social care infrastructure. For those who avail of long-term residential care, it is essential that public investment in this infrastructure is maintained at a level which supports the highest standard of care.
“These seven sites will offer further choice of long-term residential care for our older people right across the country”.
Construction on five of the facilities will commence before Christmas 2022 (Ardee, Clonmel, Killarney, St Finbarr's - Cork and Thomastown) and the remaining two (Athlone and Midleton) by early 2023. All facilities are expected to have construction completed by the end of 2024.
Notes to Editors:
Equisisk have been appointed to design, build, finance and maintain the CNU facilities for a 25-year period before handing back the facilities to the HSE. Under the terms of the contract, annual payments (unitary charge) of €24 million will be paid by the HSE to the PPP company for the 25-year term.
The HSE procured the project in line with PPP Guidelines and will oversee its delivery. The sites will remain in State ownership for the entire period, with all patient care services being provided by the HSE.