HSE yet to confirm opening dates for assessment hubs

DEMAND FOR HUBS NOT AS HIGH AS HAD FIRST BEEN FEARED

THE HSE has said is it not as yet able to confirm a definitive opening date for the proposed COVID-19 Community Assessment Hubs, including one in North Cork.

Earlier his month the HSEs Cork/Kerry Community Healthcare section announced that four hubs were to be opened across the region at the Gilbert Centre in Mallow, the Old fort Road in Ballincollig and at locations in Bantry and Castleisland.

They were in addition to the recently opened assessment hub at St Mary’s Health Campus in Gurranabraher on the northside of Cork City.

At the time a HSE spokesperson said the centres were just one element of the their response to COVID-19 across he entire health system.

“The assessment hubs will be for patients who have or may have a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 and whose GP decides they need a face-toface clinical assessment,”said the spokesperson.

While the failure to open the other centres may be viewed by some as disappointing news, it might in fact be a sign of a badly needed silver lining in the ongoing battle to stem the spread of the Coronavirus.

While he HSE this week said progress on the hubs was “under constant review”, it is understood one of the reasons behind delay was that demand for them was not as high as at first thought it might be.

“Community Assessment Hubs were planned to provide community based acute clinical assessment for COVID-19 patients as close to home as possible,” said the HSE spokesperson.

“They were planned in the context of a high number of COVID positive patients in the community, with the aim of maximising the number of people who could self-care at home with the appropriate clinical advice and support.”

It is understood that works to prepare the four new assessment hubs are well advanced and while no firm date has been set for their opening they could be opened at reasonably short notice if required.

However, it is believed that demand for the hubs is not as high as at first feared, something that seemed to be borne out by the HSE.

They said the fact that no definitive date has been set for the opening of the hubs was down to two key reasons, the first being what the HSE said was the “current number of confirmed COVID positive cases within the community.”

However, this may change over coming days with the threshold for COVID-19 set to widen to any patients experiencing three key symptoms: a fever, cough or shortness of breath.

Previously, tests had been limited to people who were considered to fall within a high-risk group.

The spokesperson said another reason was due to “competing demand for resources”, relating in particular to the availability of nursing staff to man the hubs.

The hubs require significant numbers of staff to operate. However, many have been redeployed to work within HSE residential and nursing homes to cope with the rise in COVID-19 cases within these settings.

“Nursing staff are currently prioritised towards frontline residential services,” said the HSE spokesperson, who added the situation would be kept under constant review.”