ELDERLY SERVICE users of the day care centre at St John’s Hospital in Enniscorthy were left high and dry last week after it emerged that the hospital had suddenly closed for two weeks due to staffing levels. It emerged that a number of staff members were out on sick leave and holidays and that the facility was forced to close its doors on Monday of last week.

Local Fianna Fáil TD John Browne said that he had taken a number of calls from those who use the day care centre at the hospital and was told that they were picked up by the bus as usual last Monday and brought to St John’s, only to be told it was closing as they hadn’t enough staff.

“I’ve been told that the situation is that they have a lot of staff out sick and on holidays and as well as that a lot of staff had to be transferred,” said Deputy Browne. “You’d imagine that they would’ve known before Monday that this situation could develop. Around 35 people go into St John’s every day and for some of them it’s the only contact they have with the outside world. It’s a disaster for Enniscorthy and the wider area and people are very upset about it.”

For more, see this week’s Enniscorthy Echo.

Sign posted on the door of the Day Care Centre at St. John’s Community Hospital which closed suddenly on Wednesday morning. Pic: John Walsh