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Cork Medical Centre was due to open next month - but now many never open at all.

Country's newest hospital faces closure over VHI dispute

The Cork Medical Centre, which hasn’t even opened to patients yet, hasn’t reached a health insurance deal with VHI.

Updated, March 1

THE COUNTRY’S newest hospital is facing the prospect of having to lay off its 75 staff within six of opening its doors to patients, after its operators failed to strike a deal with VHI to offer services to its members.

The Cork Medical Centre, based in Mahon in Cork City, was officially opened to out-patients in October last year – and had planned to expand to allow overnight stays for in-patients on March 14.

That date may now have to be pushed back, with some jobs lost, after operators Sheehan Medical said it hadn’t been able to ensure that VHI customers could receive services under the terms of their insurance policies.

RTÉ News reported that the centre had reached deals with the other insurers, Quinn and AVIVA, last September – but VHI had said there was excess capacity in private hospitals. On that basis, it wasn’t prepared to extend cover to a new private facility.

The VHI said it had first informed Sheehan Medical of that position in 2009, though a spokesperson for Sheehan Medical said this was untrue and that the VHI had encouraged the clinic, with the other private facilities in the city being built almost a century ago.

The Irish Examiner said that all 75 of the hospital’s staff had therefore been given warning that their jobs were at risk, and the hospital may be forced to shut down as a result of the dispute.

Newstalk said a decision was expected tomorrow on whether the hospital would proceed with its plans to open at all.

The new €90m facility had held a careers fair as recently as last month, advertising for up to 100 clinical staff to work at the facility, which had planned to treat 39,000 patients a year.

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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Mar 6th 2017, 1:40 PM

    Look underneath this crime, they were breeding dogs to sell pups and making money from it. So all you people out there, buying puppies for their little ones and getting rid of them afterwards. You played a part in this crime, stop buying puppies/kittens FFS and put this sick trade out of business.

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    Mute Patrick Pints
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    Mar 6th 2017, 1:43 PM

    @Stephen murphy: well at least thats 3 backstreet dog breeders out of business. Imagine how they treated the animals ?

    68
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    Mute Michael J
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    Mar 6th 2017, 1:57 PM

    Stephen talking BS as usual. He thinks little kids who want a dog are somehow complicit in this man killing his partner in crime. Priceless.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Mar 6th 2017, 2:04 PM

    Michael J. It’s not the Kids that fork out the Hundreds of Euro but the parents.

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    Mute Patrick Pints
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    Mar 6th 2017, 2:06 PM

    @Michael J: the killing was the result of degenerates who profited on the back of unregulated animal breeding. hopefully social welfare looks for their dole to be repaid back.

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    Mute Stephen murphy
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    Mar 6th 2017, 6:34 PM

    @Michael J: If that’s true, then it takes a bs to know one and have you not the intelligence to see it’s the parents who buy the pets?

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    Mute tea biccies
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    Mar 6th 2017, 2:55 PM

    I knew Mr. Nevin. He was no saint. Him and his buddies kicked a man to death not very long ago

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    Mute Patrick Pints
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    Mar 6th 2017, 8:30 PM

    @tea biccies: karma eh

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    Mute HoneyBadger617
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    Mar 6th 2017, 2:20 PM

    It just goes to show you the type of people these are. Killing a man over a dog. Behind bars and in a cage they are where they belong

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    Mute Ananya Sharma
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    Mar 6th 2017, 3:10 PM

    Ruff justice has been served.

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    Mute beans not peas
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    Mar 6th 2017, 2:04 PM

    That’s woof justice

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    Mute Gary Rowe
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    Mar 6th 2017, 1:40 PM

    Why the gavel? You know they’re not used here …

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    Mute Ciarán Masterson
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    Mar 6th 2017, 2:10 PM

    Anyone who gets involved in an horrific incident like this involving a dog is barking mad.

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    Mute John003
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    Mar 6th 2017, 3:03 PM

    Amazed the judge did not rule final.two years of sentence suspended……Must be the harshest sentence for manslaughter ever….Normally it is 7 with 2 suspended…

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    Mute Emmet O'Keeffe
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    Mar 6th 2017, 4:22 PM

    A sad reflection on the mindset of many young Irishmen these days.
    One man dead, one serving life for murder and a third sent down for manslaughter.
    Why?
    War?
    A tribal dispute?
    Land?
    Religion?
    No.
    A few quid from dog breeding.

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    Mute DirectlyElectedMayor
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    Mar 7th 2017, 4:56 PM
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