Quakers to sell Bloomfield mental health hospital

Bloomfield Hospital, a private mental health facility in South Dublin, will be sold by the Quakers in Ireland because of the ageing profile of its board and the “shrinking size” of the religious community.

Established more than 200 years ago, Bloomfield cares for patients with enduring mental health diagnoses and neuropsychiatric disorders, including Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, and schizophrenia. The hospital is primarily funded by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and recorded a net surplus of just over €2.1 million in 2024.

In a letter to patient families on November 26th, Joe Kelly, chief executive of the hospital, highlighted that Bloomfield was founded in 1812 to “address an urgent need in mental health” and that services have “evolved significantly” since then.

“The board of directors and the wider Quaker community have been reflecting on their capacity to continue providing board-level governance to Bloomfield into the future, considering a number of pressing challenges which include the ageing profile of the board and the shrinking size of the Quaker community,” the board said. “With this in mind and after very careful consideration, the board has decided that the time has come to hand over Bloomfield to a new board of directors who will be responsible for the governance of Bloomfield.”

Mr Kelly confirmed that negotiations with an exclusive party are underway, adding: “Until the completion of the transfer, we are unable to disclose any detail about potential new owners. But as soon as the information is made available we will let you know. We anticipate this will be in February 2026.”

He emphasised that operations will continue without disruption, saying that the day-to-day activities and resident care will remain unchanged during the transition.

Read the full update on Bloomfield Hospital’s sale and governance changes in the full story.

Photo credits to Bloomfield Hospital’s LinkedIn