Receiver appointed to St Francis Medical Centre in Ballinderry

Following a request from the company’s Directors, Mr Kieran Wallace of KPMG has today been appointed as Receiver and Manager to take control of VFM healthcare (Ireland) Limited, the entity which trades as St Francis Private Hospital in Mullingar.

Agreement has been reached with Centric Health to assume operational management of the Hospital with immediate effect, protecting employment and ensuring that the future of the hospital is secured.

A statement issued on behalf of the receiver today states that St Francis Private Hospital will continue to operate as normal under the management of Centric Health, ensuring the highest standard of patient care.

"Centric will work with medical practitioners to develop the hospital and expand the services offered to patients," the statement added, going on to state that Centric Health, founded in 2003, is one of Ireland's leading providers of healthcare services.

"The company owns eight primary care facilities, operates three Swiftcare clinics in partnership with VHI and works with the HSE nationally providing a wide range of services that includes the provision of junior doctors, delivery of the national diabetic retinopathy screening programme for the Leinster region and provision of a wide range of radiology services within public hospitals and private facilities."

Centric’s services in Ireland are accessed by over 200,000 patients each year. Centric Health employs over 200 staff in Ireland and a further 370 in the UK and Australia.

Speaking about St Francis Medical Centre, the receiver, Mr Wallace said: “The appointment of Centric Health brings stability to the Hospital and ensures that it remains open, providing a full service to all of its patients. Continuity of patient care and securing the jobs at St Francis were key considerations in this case. Based in Ballinderry, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath for over 40 years, St. Francis Private Hospital has 92 beds and four operating theatres and provides a wide range of surgical and medical treatments to both public and private patients in the Midlands.