AMNCH - Background and History: HSE Dublin West/South West Mental Health Nursing Service

St. Loman`s Hospital was built in 1950, initially as a sanatorium for patients with tuberculosis. The incidence of tuberculosis declined shortly afterwards and St. Loman’s became an auxiliary Mental Hospital to the District Mental Hospital of St. Brendan’s in the late 1950s.

In 1966, St. Loman’s became a stand-alone Psychiatric Hospital with its own catchment area.

In keeping with the report on the Commission of Inquiry on Mental Illness in 1966, it was decided that the service should be as community based as possible. The first community-based hostel was established in1964 at St. Mary’s Flats in the Phoenix Park. Community psychiatric nursing teams were introduced around this time as well.

Substantial housing developments began in the late 1970s and early 1980s in Tallaght and Clondalkin. This resulted in the catchment area population almost doubling from the 1960s of 150,000 to 300,000 approximately. At this time St. Loman’s had 200 inpatient beds, which was the lowest bed population ratio in Ireland. In the mid to late 1980s sector headquarters with accompanying day facilities were established in Tallaght, Crumlin, and Clondalkin. Ballyfermot developed these facilities in the early 1990s. A number of high support hostels were established in the late 1980s.

As a result of these developments, the number of beds in St. Loman’s Hospital had fallen from 200 in 1988 to 100 in 1993. In 1992 the Kildare Services were established so reducing the St. Loman’s catchment area to 250,000.

In August 1999 the two 25 bed acute admission units were opened in A.M.N.C.H. In October 2005 a six bedded unit for the purpose of high observation was opened in the AMNCH.

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Background and History: HSE Dublin West/South West Mental Health Nursing Service

Author: Martina McGuiness