Laois HSE health centre inaccessible to mobility scooter users

A HSE primary healthcare centre in Laois is not accessible to people with disabilities using mobility scooters, highlighted this week by a local wheelchair user.

Mountrath Health Centre is to be rebuilt, as it is too small for the town, with no room on site to extend. 

Local mother Sarah McDowall is asking why it is taking so long.

She spoke to the Leinster Express / Laois Live about her problems accessing the centre for her essential medical treatment.

Sarah who is aged in her early 40s has lived with remittant relapsing Multiple Sclerosis for 27 years.

In the past year instead of crutches, she has used a rider mobility scooter full-time. With a young son, she wants to be as independent as she can, working from home in an accounts job, and driving herself.

"The scooter is freedom to me. I bought it myself.  

"I was given an electric wheelchair by the HSE occupational therapist but I can only use that indoors, the wheels are too thin. I can go outside on gravel with the scooter or I can go to matches," she said.

She arrived to her local health centre in the scooter and found she could not get inside.

"I had to go to the doctor there a while ago. I had to say to him 'I can't get in, there's no room'.

"I could get in the front door but its too small inside to move. There are shelves in the hall, there's a new doctor's desk in the waiting room. There are three doctors there, as well as nurses. There are three or four administrators in one room. 

"I asked them if there was a wheelchair, and can someone come to the car and bring me in and they did and brought me into a room.

"It's just an awkward hall, it's tight. They got me into a room. I have been there many times before but not in a wheelchair.

"I had to go and get bloods done and I went to Portlaoise health centre instead because it was easier to get in. Luckily when I rang they were happy enough to do it there. 

"They're talking about building a new health centre, but I don't know what's happened since. When all the councillors were out canvassing for the local election, I brought them inside and said 'listen to my issues'."

Sarah outlined other problems for wheelchair users in Mountrath and in Portlaoise. 

"The footpaths are not proper for wheelchairs, there's no slope to get down on the road. It's the 21st century so the infrastructure should be ok enough to help people get around. A lot more people have mobility scooters now where years ago they couldn't go out. Footpaths are the big thing. 

"I had to go to my dentist in Portlaoise on Jessop Street and I parked in the multi-storey carpark. I had to use my wheelchair on the road because the path wasn't low enough to get down in the wheelchair.

"It should work for everyone, it's not our fault we're in this situation. I just want infrastructure to be suitable.

"It's not just for me, the health centre should be a priority for everyone," she said.

The HSE and the Government both agreed several years ago that a new centre should be built.

A site was announced by Minister Sean Fleming 15 months ago, next to Mighty Moll's filling station, but still no construction has yet begun.

Cllr James Kelly has asked for an update from the HSE on the provision on new primary healthcare centres in Mountrath, Rathdowney and Borris-in-Ossory.

He tabled a motion to the October meeting of Mountmellick Borris-in-Ossory Municipal District.

"We all know the state the health centres are in. I'm not having a go at the people working in them. They put patients first, providing comprehensive care from the beginning to end of life. 

"GP services are the cornerstone of health but they're in small bungalows. Two thirds of the practices are unable for new patients. They applied for a modular unit and were refused. 

"Sean Fleming did a video saying it was great news that a primary care centre was coming to Mountrath with land identified, but we are no further, there are no updates at all. 

"If you can't put a couple of ramps in for people I don't know what we're going to do," he said.

Cllr John King seconded.

"In Rathdowney the centre serves 4,000 people, with 2,000 of them on medical cards. It's overcrowded, the building is outdated. There is a site identified in the middle of town, there is money available. I want to see this deal done with the landowner. With the influx of new people, it's not fit for purpose," he said.

Cllr Ollie Clooney said that Durrow health centre is "ok" but that it "hasn't been painted in 30 years".

"At the back there are bushes and briars going up at the windows, it's like a third world place. We are spending billions on a hospital and accountability is questioned," he said.

Borris-in-Ossory centre is in "quite a dangerous location", Cllr Conor Bergin said.

"There have been fatalities on the road outside it, so a carpark was built. It's an old bungalow, it's of its time, we need health centres, they are crucial in every village," he said.

An update has been requested from the HSE by Laois County Council.

It has also been requested by the Leinster Express.