Cork Kerry Community Healthcare (HSE) wishes to update the public that there will be a significant impact on services in the coming days in light of severe weather warnings.

The severe weather will have an impact on many of our services and the people who use our services.

We would now like to inform the public that any non-essential clinics and  appointments on Thursday and Friday have been cancelled.

This impact of this will include:

·       Day services for older people and those will disabilities will not take place on Thursday and Friday.

·       Routine appointments such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, community psychology, speech therapy and eye care clinics, child development clinics and dental have been cancelled and will not go ahead tomorrow or Friday. Anyone in doubt should contact the office or person who issued the appointment.

·       Arrangements are being made to ensure that staff at community hospitals and other residential centres for older people  are safely at work so that rosters can be covered.

·         We will maintain home help services where essential for people identified as vulnerable.  In other cases where we cannot provide the service, we will make every effort to contact those affected.

·       All mental health day services, day hospitals and outpatient services have been cancelled. If any service user has difficulties, is in crisis or requires urgent assistance, they should make telephone contact with their team, GP, Southdoc or their local emergency department.

·       We have also advised all voluntary/community agencies that we are cancelling non-essential services and they may wish to consider doing the same.

We would appeal to the public to pass this information on to friends, families and neighbours.

We would like to reassure the public that every effort possible is being made to ensure that staff and those who use our services are kept safe, and that essential services are maintained. We would also like to thank staff who are working in these  tough weather conditions.

We will be monitoring the situation on an hour by hour basis and using all channels of communications to update patients / clients and the general . All updated information can be found on www.hse.ie/weatherwarning.

We will continue to do everything possible to maintain all essential services, particularly services to vulnerable people at home in the community.  Where it is safe to do so, we are asking people to consider checking in on elderly or vulnerable members of the community, and to make sure they have supplies of food, fuel, water and medicines.

Keep up to date with @HSELive on Twitter for all the latest regarding HSE services.

The website winterready.ie has useful guidance and advice for all.

ENDS