The end of an era as St. Francis Hospital as Sisters announce sale

Olga AugheyAfter forty-four years at the helm of St. Francis Hospital and St. Clair’s Nursing Home, the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady have announced this week that they have entered into an agreement to sell the business of both to Belfast based VFM Healthcare (Ireland) Limited, run by Mark Gordon.It is believed the sale of the hospital at Ballinderry, Mullingar was necessary to inject some much needed funds into the business and secure its future as a healthcare provider.In a statement released by the Franciscan Missionaries, they say they are confident that there will be no threat to jobs:“The Congregation is delighted to confirm that in the context of the sale of the business the employment of those employed in the Nursing Home and Hospital is secured,” it stated. It is believed that a consultation period has begun with the employees and their representatives.Once the sale is completed over the coming months, the Congregation will no longer have day to day responsibility for the ownership and management of the Nursing Home and Hospital but will continue to have a pastoral role.The statement also said that the VFM Group has significant expertise in the healthcare sector in both the UK and Ireland:“The VFM Group has significant expertise in the healthcare sector in the UK and especially in Ireland involving community focused projects in primary care, elderly care and the future provision of modern state of the art private acute hospital premises in Belfast.”It also said that the Congregation is proud of its association with the Hospital and the Nursing Home and the care provided to its patients over the years and wishes the VFM Group every success in its plans for the future development of the facilities.Speaking to the General Manager of St. Francis Hospital, Noeleen Sheridan said she was delighted healthcare service would continue at St. Francis Hospital and St. Clair’s Nursing Home:“I am simply delighted that it is continuing as a healthcare facility and I think this (sale) needs to be viewed in a positive light,” she commented.When asked why she thought the Congregation had taken the decision to sell the hospital, she said:“Well they are forty-four years here, it’s a long time and maybe they felt it was time for some new blood,” she explained.When asked what she knew about VFM, Noeleen went on to say that they had been involved in elderly care and primary healthcare both in the UK and Northern Ireland, managing hospitals in Glasgow and Edinburgh.She also re-confirmed that there would be no cutbacks to employees.