Laois Hospice thanks Taoiseach for €20million for 'urgent' Midlands hospice
Laois Hospice has given a warm welcome to the €20 million announced to build a hospice for the midlands.
The hospice money was announced by Taoiseach Micheál Martin last week, to fund a 20 bed unit to serve Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford.
Mary Delaney is the chairperson of Laois Hospice who have been funding home palliative care for Laois people for over three decades, supported by the public's donations.
"We very much welcomes the announcement by An Taoiseach of €20m towards the provision of a much needed Midlands Level 3 In-Patient Palliative Care Unit at Tullamore. We in Laois Hospice fully support the need for this unit and are delighted with the news and look forward to its progress.
"This unit will not only provide inpatient level 3 palliative care services but it will also enhance and facilitate the development of the existing home care service to a 24/7 home care service across Laois, Offaly, Westmeath and Longford which have been funded largely up to now by the local voluntary hospice organisations.
"It has been recognised for many years that the Midlands was identified as a black spot in the country in relation to inpatient hospice services. We thank the Taoiseach for finally recognising the need for such a unit and for approving the Government funding," Ms Delaney said.
She stresses the urgency now to the HSE to get the unit built.
"We now call on the HSE to proceed to prioritise this project to design and construction stages as urgently as possible so that the people of Laois and the Midlands can have access to the same level of inpatient Palliative care services as is enjoyed by people living in any other part of the country and eliminate the long travel to inpatient units outside the region.
"This unit will provide for the first time in the Midlands a multi-professional team that will care for patients in a holistic way and will include day care, outpatient, inpatient and community services at end of life and will also provide much needed care and facilities for the families.
"We thank the HSE who have worked tirelessly with Minister Stephen Donnelly over many years to progress this much needed service, the local voluntary hospices and Hooves-4-Hospice. We also thank most sincerely the many volunteers who fundraised and who continue to fundraise for hospice services in their area over the many years who without their hard work, dedication and commitment to Laois Hospice in Co Laois to enhance and develop the home care services in Laois," Ms Delaney said.
The next big fundraiser for Irish Hospice is Bewley's Big Coffee Morning on September 22, backed by Hollywood actor Brendan Gleeson. Read more above.