Stormont told that Holywell Hospital is 'beyond physical redemption'

Sinn Féin’s Declan Kearney has called on the Minister for Health to expedite approval of the funding required for the building of the Birch Hill Centre for Mental Health to proceed.

The £143m scheme to replace the crumbling Holywell site is at risk because of budget constraints within the Department of Health.

Speaking after introducing an adjournment debate on the floor of the Assembly, the South Antrim MLA said: “I was pleased to have the opportunity to initiate an Assembly adjournment debate regarding the urgent need for the Minister of Health to expedite funding for the building of the Birch Hill Centre for Mental Health on the Antrim Area Hospital site.

 “The north has the highest incidence of mental health illness on these islands; a reality that stems from both the legacy of the conflict, high levels of poverty, and other socio-economic factors. 

“The provision of high quality mental health care is therefore a critical priority within our community. The main mental health care facility for the Northern Trust area, is currently based at the Holywell Hospital site in Antrim Town.

 “During a visit to the site earlier this year, it was absolutely clear from the outset that this 19th century built environment is now totally unfit to serve as a modern mental health care facility. 

“The conditions in which the staff are managing everyday care for patients are untenable.

 “Despite the deep passion and commitment of all staff members, Holywell is no longer a medical centre which is conducive to the delivery of good mental health and well-being care provision. 

 “It was alarming to view how these facilities are rapidly deteriorating. The serious physical dilapidation throughout the hospital makes it a depressing and repressive environment both for staff and patients. 

 “These facilities do not meet the standard of a modern day mental health care setting for patients, and constitute an unacceptable working environment for nurses, doctors and other clinicians.

 “Unsurprisingly there is an enormous and constant drain on recurrent funding to meet the costs of the extensive ongoing repairs, which are needed to just stand still in what is a virtual firefighting scenario.

“This makes no economic sense when these premises are clearly beyond physical redemption.

 “The new Birch Hill Centre for Mental Health would centralise the Northern Trust’s inpatient mental health services in state of the art, purpose-built accommodation.

 “The Birch Hill plan sets out a strategic vision aimed at optimising patient assessment, treatment and recovery.

“It is about securing a proper standard of care  and support for patients and carers into the future and is essential to providing staff with the capacity to maximise the standards of therapeutic care which they want to deliver.

 “I have previously recorded my concerns with the Minister through both written question and correspondence. Regrettably the responses to date have lacked the clarification needed to provide reassurance to the staff, patients, carers, and their families, who are depending on implementation of the Birch Hill Centre.

 “Meanwhile, the care facilities at Holywell hospital are at breaking point. The status quo is unsustainable. Urgent decisions are needed.

“During this debate I again appealed to the Minister to expedite approval of the required funding, and to confirm a clear timeframe, which will allow construction of the Birch Hill Centre for Mental Health to proceed.

 “I want to acknowledge support from constituency colleagues, and hope the Minister will be persuaded by our arguments to prioritise delivery of the Birch Hill Centre.”

Mr Kearney was thanked for raising the ‘vital issue’ by South Antrim Alliance MLA John Blair.

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