Public (HSE)

Heather House Community Nursing Unit

St Mary's Health Campus, Gurranabraher, T23 FFX9

Call 021 492 7950

Fair Deal weekly price

€1,844

HSE cost of care, from 1 September 2026

Registered beds

HIQA maximum occupancy

Registered until

10 January 2029

Current registration since 11 January 2026

Inspection score

75/ 100

Mostly compliant

Steady

Ranked 57 of 69 scored homes in Co. Cork · 30 of 33 within 25 km

Leadership and management71

Quality and safety of care80

What went into the score

17 February 2026 · counts 50%2 not compliant · 8 of 16 compliant · 76
6 August 2025 · counts 30%3 not compliant · 11 of 22 compliant · 75
28 August 2024 · counts 20%3 not compliant · 10 of 20 compliant · 74

Fair Deal price is 41% above the Co. Cork median of €1,305 a week.

How we calculate this score

Every regulation HIQA judged on an inspection earns points: Compliant 100, Substantially compliant 65, Not compliant 25.
Where the compliance plan rates the risk of a failing regulation, orange (moderate risk) takes off 15 more points and red (high risk) takes off 40. Yellow (low risk) takes off nothing.
An inspection's score is the average over the regulations it looked at.
A home's score combines its last 3 inspections: the newest counts for 50%, the one before for 30% and the one before that for 20%. With fewer inspections the weights are scaled up to 100%.
The trend compares the newest inspection's score with the average of the earlier ones: 5 points or more higher is improving, 5 or more lower is declining, anything else is stable.
Homes are ranked by score within their county and among scored homes within 25 km. Homes with the same score share a rank.

Method v1. It uses only HIQA's published judgments, not our opinion, and is recalculated whenever a new report is published.

What the latest inspection found

Heather House Community Nursing Unit is a well-managed, purpose-built nursing home in Cork with 59 residents during inspection. Residents receive good quality care from kind and knowledgeable staff, with positive feedback about the care and environment. The home offers single ensuite rooms, communal spaces, and a range of activities. Some improvements are needed in care planning, fire safety, maintenance, and complaint handling.

Long-term care

What inspectors liked

Residents praised the responsive and compassionate staff, saying they are well looked after and wouldn't want to be anywhere else
The centre is clean, bright, well ventilated, and homely with personalised rooms and comfortable communal areas
There is a good range of activities including music, exercise, arts and crafts, and outings, supported by an external company and staff
Residents have timely access to GPs and allied health professionals, with good infection control practices especially during an influenza outbreak
The centre has a stable staff team with appropriate skill mix and 24-hour nursing cover

What needed to improve

Care plans and assessments are not always updated promptly when residents' conditions change
Fire safety needs improvement, including gaps in fire doors, outdated evacuation plans, and overdue staff training
Some maintenance issues such as broken doors and damaged walls were noted and need timely repair
Complaints are not always managed fully according to policy and some incidents were not reported to the Chief Inspector as required
Staff files lacked some required information such as CVs and employment history

What residents said

“we are lucky to have such responsive staff, they are always there to help”
“we are well looked after”
“I wouldn't want to be anywhere else”

Staffing: The centre has sufficient staff with an appropriate skill mix, including registered nurses and clinical nurse managers on duty 24/7, ensuring continuity of care.
Activities: Residents have access to daily activities including music, exercise, arts and crafts, and outings. An external company provides activities Monday to Friday, with staff facilitating weekends. Activities occur in day rooms and include group and one-to-one sessions.
Food: Menus have been improved with more choices and are displayed in dining rooms. Residents reported generous and appetising portions. Some inconsistency in mealtime experience was noted between units, with one unit having a more sociable dining experience than the other.
Dementia: Has a dedicated dementia unit. The Primrose unit is a dementia-specific unit currently being refurbished and planned to reopen soon.

Summarised by AI from the HIQA report of 17 February 2026. Check the report for the full picture.Source report (PDF)

Inspection history

HIQA judges each regulation as Compliant Substantially compliant Not compliantRisk: Low Moderate High

17 February 2026
Unannounced inspection · published Jun 2026
8 compliant6 mostly2 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Statement of purposeCompliant
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 20 February 2026Mostly
StaffingCompliant
RecordsLow risk · fix by 18 February 2026Mostly
Governance and managementModerate risk · fix by 18 February 2026Not compliant
Notification of incidentsModerate risk · fix by 20 February 2026Not compliant
Complaints procedureLow risk · fix by 20 February 2026Mostly
Applications by registered providers for the variation or removal of conditions of registrationCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 2 March 2026Mostly
Health careCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
PremisesLow risk · fix by 30 May 2026Mostly
Food and nutritionCompliant
Temporary absence or discharge of residentsCompliant
Infection controlCompliant
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 20 April 2026Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
6 August 2025
Unannounced inspection · published Oct 2025
11 compliant8 mostly3 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Statement of purposeLow risk · fix by 14 August 2025Mostly
Written policies and proceduresModerate risk · fix by 15 August 2025Not compliant
Persons in chargeCompliant
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Directory of residentsCompliant
RecordsLow risk · fix by 16 September 2025Mostly
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 30 December 2025Mostly
Notification of incidentsModerate risk · fix by 7 August 2025Not compliant
Application for registration or renewal of registrationCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 11 August 2025Mostly
Health careCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
VisitsCompliant
Personal possessionsCompliant
PremisesModerate risk · fix by 31 December 2025Not compliant
Food and nutritionLow risk · fix by 7 August 2025Mostly
Information for residentsLow risk · fix by 10 September 2025Mostly
Temporary absence or discharge of residentsLow risk · fix by 7 August 2025Mostly
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 11 August 2025Mostly
Medicines and pharmaceutical servicesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
28 August 2024
Unannounced inspection · published Jan 2025
10 compliant7 mostly3 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 25 October 2024Mostly
Persons in chargeCompliant
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Directory of residentsCompliant
Governance and managementModerate risk · fix by 28 August 2024Not compliant
Notification of incidentsCompliant
Complaints procedureCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 30 September 2024Mostly
Health careLow risk · fix by 18 December 2024Mostly
Residents' rightsCompliant
VisitsCompliant
Personal possessionsModerate risk · fix by 30 October 2025Not compliant
End of lifeCompliant
PremisesLow risk · fix by 10 October 2024Mostly
Food and nutritionLow risk · fix by 29 August 2024Mostly
Risk managementLow risk · fix by 4 September 2024Mostly
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 15 October 2024Mostly
Fire precautionsModerate risk · fix by 30 November 2025Not compliant
Medicines and pharmaceutical servicesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
31 January 2024
Unannounced inspection · published May 2024
9 compliant6 mostly3 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 30 May 2024Mostly
Persons in chargeCompliant
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Directory of residentsLow risk · fix by 7 February 2024Mostly
RecordsCompliant
Governance and managementModerate risk · fix by 1 February 2024Not compliant
Complaints procedureLow risk · fix by 30 April 2024Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 14 February 2024Mostly
Health careCompliant
Managing behaviour that is challengingCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
Personal possessionsModerate risk · fix by 1 February 2024Not compliant
PremisesLow risk · fix by 17 February 2024Mostly
Food and nutritionLow risk · fix by 2 February 2024Mostly
Infection controlCompliant
Fire precautionsModerate risk · fix by 30 April 2024Not compliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
20 July 2023
Unannounced inspection · published Oct 2023
9 compliant7 mostly2 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Statement of purposeLow risk · fix by 30 August 2023Mostly
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 25 July 2023Mostly
Persons in chargeCompliant
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 30 October 2023Mostly
Notification of incidentsCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 30 August 2023Mostly
Health careCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
VisitsCompliant
Personal possessionsModerate risk · fix by 30 January 2024Not compliant
PremisesLow risk · fix by 30 October 2023Mostly
Food and nutritionLow risk · fix by 30 July 2023Mostly
Temporary absence or discharge of residentsCompliant
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 15 August 2023Mostly
Fire precautionsModerate risk · fix by 30 October 2023Not compliant
Medicines and pharmaceutical servicesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)

Fair Deal price

This is the most the home can charge a week for residents on the Fair Deal scheme. Under Fair Deal you pay up to 80% of your income and 7.5% of the value of your assets a year, and the State pays the rest. Homes may charge extra for things like activities, hairdressing or newspapers, so ask about these when you call.

List	Published	Weekly price
HSE public homes	1 September 2026	€1,844

Registration conditions

Read the conditions HIQA attached to this registration

Condition 1: Subject to any prohibitions or restrictions contained in any other condition(s), the designated centre shall be operated at all times in accordance with the Statement of Purpose dated 10 February 2026 and within the footprint of the designated centre on the floor plan received 10 February 2026 excluding 1. any reference to Rooms 16 &17 being used as twin occupancy. For avoidance of any doubt, these rooms are to be used for single occupancy only. 2. Excluding any reference to the centre being registered to accommodate 79 residents as this decision restricts the number of residents who may be accommodated in the designated centre to 77 only. The registered provider shall only provide for the specific care and support needs, and services, within the facilities as set out the Statement of Purpose, as agreed with the Chief Inspector at the time of registration. Any changes to the specific care and support needs and services provided must be agreed in advance with the Chief Inspector. Condition 2: Only persons aged 18 years or older shall be accommodated at the designated centre at any time. Condition 3: The maximum number of persons that may be accommodated at the designated centre is: 77

Other homes nearby

Worth phoning too if this home has no bed available.

Mount Cara Nursing Home
Private
Blackpool, Co. Cork· 1.6 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,280 / week
Inspection score
80
Beds
26 beds
Phone
021 439 5737
Farranlea Road Community Nursing Unit
Public (HSE)
Cork city southside, Co. Cork· 1.7 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€2,002 / week
Inspection score
75
Beds
89 beds
Phone
021-4927650
St Joseph's Hospital
Voluntary
Cork, Co. Cork· 2.2 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,460 / week
Inspection score
76
Beds
103 beds
Phone
021 454 1566
St Finbarr's Hospital
Public (HSE)
Cork city southside, Co. Cork· 3.4 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€2,741 / week
Inspection score
77
Beds
73 beds
Phone
021 496 6555
Carechoice Montenotte
Private
Cork city northside, Co. Cork· 4.1 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€1,309 / week
Inspection score
82
Beds
111 beds
Phone
021 487 1777
Marymount University Hospital & Hospice
Public (HSE)
Curraheen, Co. Cork· 4.7 km away
Fair Deal weekly price
€2,049 / week
Inspection score
98
Beds
63 beds
Phone
021 4869100

Inspection score

75/ 100

Mostly compliant

Steady

Ranked 57 of 69 scored homes in Co. Cork · 30 of 33 within 25 km

Leadership and management71

Quality and safety of care80

What went into the score

17 February 2026 · counts 50%2 not compliant · 8 of 16 compliant · 76
6 August 2025 · counts 30%3 not compliant · 11 of 22 compliant · 75
28 August 2024 · counts 20%3 not compliant · 10 of 20 compliant · 74

Fair Deal price is 41% above the Co. Cork median of €1,305 a week.

How we calculate this score

Every regulation HIQA judged on an inspection earns points: Compliant 100, Substantially compliant 65, Not compliant 25.
Where the compliance plan rates the risk of a failing regulation, orange (moderate risk) takes off 15 more points and red (high risk) takes off 40. Yellow (low risk) takes off nothing.
An inspection's score is the average over the regulations it looked at.
A home's score combines its last 3 inspections: the newest counts for 50%, the one before for 30% and the one before that for 20%. With fewer inspections the weights are scaled up to 100%.
The trend compares the newest inspection's score with the average of the earlier ones: 5 points or more higher is improving, 5 or more lower is declining, anything else is stable.
Homes are ranked by score within their county and among scored homes within 25 km. Homes with the same score share a rank.

Method v1. It uses only HIQA's published judgments, not our opinion, and is recalculated whenever a new report is published.

What the latest inspection found

Long-term care

What inspectors liked

Residents praised the responsive and compassionate staff, saying they are well looked after and wouldn't want to be anywhere else
The centre is clean, bright, well ventilated, and homely with personalised rooms and comfortable communal areas
There is a good range of activities including music, exercise, arts and crafts, and outings, supported by an external company and staff
Residents have timely access to GPs and allied health professionals, with good infection control practices especially during an influenza outbreak
The centre has a stable staff team with appropriate skill mix and 24-hour nursing cover

What needed to improve

Care plans and assessments are not always updated promptly when residents' conditions change
Fire safety needs improvement, including gaps in fire doors, outdated evacuation plans, and overdue staff training
Some maintenance issues such as broken doors and damaged walls were noted and need timely repair
Complaints are not always managed fully according to policy and some incidents were not reported to the Chief Inspector as required
Staff files lacked some required information such as CVs and employment history

What residents said

“we are lucky to have such responsive staff, they are always there to help”
“we are well looked after”
“I wouldn't want to be anywhere else”

Staffing: The centre has sufficient staff with an appropriate skill mix, including registered nurses and clinical nurse managers on duty 24/7, ensuring continuity of care.
Activities: Residents have access to daily activities including music, exercise, arts and crafts, and outings. An external company provides activities Monday to Friday, with staff facilitating weekends. Activities occur in day rooms and include group and one-to-one sessions.
Food: Menus have been improved with more choices and are displayed in dining rooms. Residents reported generous and appetising portions. Some inconsistency in mealtime experience was noted between units, with one unit having a more sociable dining experience than the other.
Dementia: Has a dedicated dementia unit. The Primrose unit is a dementia-specific unit currently being refurbished and planned to reopen soon.

Summarised by AI from the HIQA report of 17 February 2026. Check the report for the full picture.Source report (PDF)

Inspection history

HIQA judges each regulation as Compliant Substantially compliant Not compliantRisk: Low Moderate High

17 February 2026
Unannounced inspection · published Jun 2026
8 compliant6 mostly2 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Statement of purposeCompliant
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 20 February 2026Mostly
StaffingCompliant
RecordsLow risk · fix by 18 February 2026Mostly
Governance and managementModerate risk · fix by 18 February 2026Not compliant
Notification of incidentsModerate risk · fix by 20 February 2026Not compliant
Complaints procedureLow risk · fix by 20 February 2026Mostly
Applications by registered providers for the variation or removal of conditions of registrationCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 2 March 2026Mostly
Health careCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
PremisesLow risk · fix by 30 May 2026Mostly
Food and nutritionCompliant
Temporary absence or discharge of residentsCompliant
Infection controlCompliant
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 20 April 2026Mostly
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
6 August 2025
Unannounced inspection · published Oct 2025
11 compliant8 mostly3 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Statement of purposeLow risk · fix by 14 August 2025Mostly
Written policies and proceduresModerate risk · fix by 15 August 2025Not compliant
Persons in chargeCompliant
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Directory of residentsCompliant
RecordsLow risk · fix by 16 September 2025Mostly
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 30 December 2025Mostly
Notification of incidentsModerate risk · fix by 7 August 2025Not compliant
Application for registration or renewal of registrationCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 11 August 2025Mostly
Health careCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
VisitsCompliant
Personal possessionsCompliant
PremisesModerate risk · fix by 31 December 2025Not compliant
Food and nutritionLow risk · fix by 7 August 2025Mostly
Information for residentsLow risk · fix by 10 September 2025Mostly
Temporary absence or discharge of residentsLow risk · fix by 7 August 2025Mostly
Fire precautionsLow risk · fix by 11 August 2025Mostly
Medicines and pharmaceutical servicesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
28 August 2024
Unannounced inspection · published Jan 2025
10 compliant7 mostly3 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 25 October 2024Mostly
Persons in chargeCompliant
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Directory of residentsCompliant
Governance and managementModerate risk · fix by 28 August 2024Not compliant
Notification of incidentsCompliant
Complaints procedureCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 30 September 2024Mostly
Health careLow risk · fix by 18 December 2024Mostly
Residents' rightsCompliant
VisitsCompliant
Personal possessionsModerate risk · fix by 30 October 2025Not compliant
End of lifeCompliant
PremisesLow risk · fix by 10 October 2024Mostly
Food and nutritionLow risk · fix by 29 August 2024Mostly
Risk managementLow risk · fix by 4 September 2024Mostly
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 15 October 2024Mostly
Fire precautionsModerate risk · fix by 30 November 2025Not compliant
Medicines and pharmaceutical servicesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
31 January 2024
Unannounced inspection · published May 2024
9 compliant6 mostly3 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 30 May 2024Mostly
Persons in chargeCompliant
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Directory of residentsLow risk · fix by 7 February 2024Mostly
RecordsCompliant
Governance and managementModerate risk · fix by 1 February 2024Not compliant
Complaints procedureLow risk · fix by 30 April 2024Mostly
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 14 February 2024Mostly
Health careCompliant
Managing behaviour that is challengingCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
Communication difficultiesCompliant
Personal possessionsModerate risk · fix by 1 February 2024Not compliant
PremisesLow risk · fix by 17 February 2024Mostly
Food and nutritionLow risk · fix by 2 February 2024Mostly
Infection controlCompliant
Fire precautionsModerate risk · fix by 30 April 2024Not compliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)
20 July 2023
Unannounced inspection · published Oct 2023
9 compliant7 mostly2 not compliant
ShowHide
Leadership and management
Statement of purposeLow risk · fix by 30 August 2023Mostly
Written policies and proceduresLow risk · fix by 25 July 2023Mostly
Persons in chargeCompliant
StaffingCompliant
Training and staff developmentCompliant
Governance and managementLow risk · fix by 30 October 2023Mostly
Notification of incidentsCompliant
Quality and safety of care
Individual assessment and care planLow risk · fix by 30 August 2023Mostly
Health careCompliant
Residents' rightsCompliant
VisitsCompliant
Personal possessionsModerate risk · fix by 30 January 2024Not compliant
PremisesLow risk · fix by 30 October 2023Mostly
Food and nutritionLow risk · fix by 30 July 2023Mostly
Temporary absence or discharge of residentsCompliant
Infection controlLow risk · fix by 15 August 2023Mostly
Fire precautionsModerate risk · fix by 30 October 2023Not compliant
Medicines and pharmaceutical servicesCompliant
Read the full HIQA report (PDF)

Fair Deal price

List	Published	Weekly price
HSE public homes	1 September 2026	€1,844

Registration conditions

Read the conditions HIQA attached to this registration

Other homes nearby

Worth phoning too if this home has no bed available.

Mount Cara Nursing Home

Private

Blackpool, Co. Cork· 1.6 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,280 / week
Inspection score: 80
Beds: 26 beds
Phone: 021 439 5737

Farranlea Road Community Nursing Unit

Public (HSE)

Cork city southside, Co. Cork· 1.7 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €2,002 / week
Inspection score: 75
Beds: 89 beds
Phone: 021-4927650

St Joseph's Hospital

Voluntary

Cork, Co. Cork· 2.2 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,460 / week
Inspection score: 76
Beds: 103 beds
Phone: 021 454 1566

St Finbarr's Hospital

Public (HSE)

Cork city southside, Co. Cork· 3.4 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €2,741 / week
Inspection score: 77
Beds: 73 beds
Phone: 021 496 6555

Carechoice Montenotte

Private

Cork city northside, Co. Cork· 4.1 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €1,309 / week
Inspection score: 82
Beds: 111 beds
Phone: 021 487 1777

Marymount University Hospital & Hospice

Public (HSE)

Curraheen, Co. Cork· 4.7 km away

Fair Deal weekly price: €2,049 / week
Inspection score: 98
Beds: 63 beds
Phone: 021 4869100