Written by Gordon Deegan

CAHERCALLA Community Hospital Chairman, Fr Harry Bohan has warned that its long-term viability is threatened by plans for a new €40 million 140-bed private hospital in Ennis.
Fr Bohan’s warning is highlighted in a letter to 32 Clare county councillors who are due to make a decision as to whether to allow the planned hospital proceed later this year.
Lisdoonvarna builder John Stack and Donegal-based Pat Bonner have lodged plans for the five-storey health facility that will have 120 in-patient beds and 20 day-patient beds at Woodstock, outside Ennis.
In his letter to councillors, Fr Bohan said, “There is little doubt that the proposal, if brought to fruition, will threaten the long-term viability of Cahercalla Community Hospital and Hospice which has been serving the community for the past 15 years.”
The site at Woodstock is currently not zoned to accommodate a private hospital and Fr Bohan says that such a proposal would have a negative impact on Cahercalla Community Hospital and Hospice, which provides a wide range of health care services to the community, including free hospice care in a purpose built 116-bed nursing home providing long-term and short-term care for patients and also a surgical clinic which offers a wide range of medical and surgical procedures on a day-case basis.”
Last year, Cahercalla Hospital implemented a cost-cutting programme, that included voluntary redundancy for 10 staff, after it recorded a loss of €450,547 in 2008. The hospital recently stated that these measures have put the hospital on a sound financial footing.
Fr Bohan’s fears over the private hospital received a boost yesterday with Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) stating that the site for the proposed hospital is “inappropriate”.
“Taking all the planning guidance into account including the Ennis and Environs Development Plan and the Mid-West Regional Planning Guidelines, I believe that it is inappropriate to locate a hospital of this scale at this location,” he said.
Last week John Stack told The Clare People that if the project gets planning, the hospital will be built.
He said that talks have been held with a number of interested parties on operating the centre and these negotiations were “ongoing and very positive”.
Mr Stack declined to state how many parties the developers are talking to in relation to operating the hospital.