<p>
	The Health Service Executive has moved to allay fears of widespread closure of nursing homes that do not meet the standards set out by the health watchdog.</p>
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	A report in The Sunday Business Post highlights a number of homes, including six in the Cork area, where the Health Information and Quality Authority identified areas of &ldquo;major&rdquo; non-compliance.</p>
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	These included St Finbarr&rsquo;s Hospital on Douglas Rd, Bandon Community Hospital, Macroom Community Hospital, St Joseph&rsquo;s Ward, Bantry General Hospital, St Joseph&rsquo;s Community Hospital, Millstreet, and Castletownbere Community Hospital.</p>
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	Other nursing homes in breach of standards include St Joseph&rsquo;s Community Hospital in Ennis, Co Clare, St Patrick&rsquo;s Hospital, John&rsquo;s Hill, Waterford, and Tralee Community Nursing Unit.</p>
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	In a statement yesterday, the HSE said it was &ldquo;currently working with HIQA around our public units which are currently registered but will be up for re-registration during 2015&rdquo;.</p>
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	The HSE said each unit will be inspected by HIQA and a decision made about re-registration on a unit-by-unit basis.</p>
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	The HSE conceded that HIQA has indicated &ldquo;there will be issues with some of our units around full compliance under infrastructural standards&rdquo;.</p>
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	However, they said it would be &ldquo;pre-emptive of the HSE to identify what the outcome of the inspection process will be&rdquo;.</p>
<p>
	The HSE said it had, &ldquo;within available resources&rdquo;, upgraded some public long-stay units &ldquo;to full infrastructural standards&rdquo; but that &ldquo;a major capital investment would be required to bring all these units to full infrastructural compliance, particularly those that are in excess of 100 years old&rdquo;.</p>
<p>
	However, the HSE said it recognises that the units in question &ldquo;provide a significant number of long-stay beds in areas of high demand&rdquo; and with that in mind, they have been &ldquo;working closely with HIQA over the past number of months to meet the re-registration requirements of these units&rdquo; to facilitate continued delivery of these services.</p>
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	HIQA has said if a centre is not in compliance by July 1, 2015, and if no realistic time-bound costed/funded plan has been agreed with the authority, then appropriate conditions will be attached to any renewal of registration.</p>
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	There are more than 100 publicly-run nursing homes catering for more than 7,000 residents.</p>
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	<a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/hse-moves-to-allay-fears-of-nursing-home-closures-307640.html">http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/hse-moves-to-allay-fears-of-nursing-home-closures-307640.html</a></p>
