However, a new deadline has not been set for the Co Antrim health facility to shut as this would “not be helpful to patients or families”. In a statement issued on Wednesday the Department explained the target closure date set last year was dependent on all the remaining patients successfully transitioning to agreed alternative accommodation placements in the community. Advertisement Advertisement Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: “Much work has been done to find suitable community placements for the remaining in-patients since the announcement of closure. This work is overseen by the Regional Resettlement Oversight Board, chaired by Dr Patricia Donnelly , and I am grateful to Dr Donnelly and the Oversight Board members for their work. "However, it is now clear that not all the remaining patients will be successfully resettled in advance of the proposed closure date in June.
This is why I am signalling today an extension to the proposed June closure date. “I am very aware that as we get closer to the anticipated closure date of June 2024, the lack of clarity about the immediate future of the hospital is heightening levels of anxiety among the remaining patients and their families about the future arrangements for their care; this uncertainty is also impacting on hospital staff. “The resettlement process, particularly for those patient.
