Minister for Health Simon Harris has officially confirmed that funding will be provided to staff the long-awaited 8-bed Hospice/Palliative Care Unit which will be built by Roscommon/Mayo Hopisce in the grounds of Roscommon County Hospital.
The new Hospice Unit is part of the masterplan for the hospital site that was signed off by the Roscommon Hospital Management Committee last year and will also include a Rehab Unit.
The Hospice Unit will be located at the rear of the hospital and will cost approx. €6 million to build and fit out. The Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Foundation has already raised €3 million towards the building cost and has secured bank facilities to cover the balance. The Foundation plan to launch a ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign in the coming weeks to help meet repayments on the bank facility in addition to existing fundraising activities.
Building on the Roscommon Hospice Unit is expected to commence in mid-2019 with completion expected by early 2021.
Over the years, Mayo/Roscommon Hospice Foundation has contributed almost €1 million to the palliative care service at Roscommon Hospital through the funding of a specialist palliative care nurse, providing social work support for palliative patients at the hospital and funding ongoing education and clinical support as well as providing capital funding to improve facilities for patients and families.
In a statement, the Foundation thanked the people of Roscommon and Mayo for loyal and generous support to Hospice all down through the years. They also acknowledge the assistance received from Senator Frank Feighan throughout the negotiations with the Department of Health.
