Independent review of Leas Cross ‘firm in its findings’
The review was carried out by Dr Des O’Neill, a leading consultant in geriatric medicine, and is said by one reliable political source to be firm in its findings, with strong recommendations that the Health Service Executive (HSE) may implement across the nursing homes sector.
Dr O’Neill began his review on September 1 last year, a month after the nursing home shut down. The review period covered all 95 deaths in Leas Cross between 2002 and 2005.
The nursing home became mired in controversy last summer following an undercover investigation by RTÉ’s Prime Time programme that revealed serious shortcomings in care.
The independent review examined a number of areas, including nursing records, prescribing records, post-mortem details, death certificates and notifications to the coroner.
The institution was one of the largest private nursing homes in the State, catering for medium to high dependency patients. The numbers who died were within the expected range.
In a response last Thursday to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd, Tánaiste and Health Minster Mary Harney said she had been advised by the HSE that a “report was being prepared and was at the final stages”.
“A decision will then be taken on whether or not the report will be debated in the Houses of the Oireachtas,” said Ms Harney.
Mr O’Dowd has waged a long-running campaign to highlight serious shortfalls in standards in private nursing homes.
Using Freedom of Information legislation, he has gained access to inspection reports highlighting shortcomings in other private nursing homes, which he says are equally as serious as those in Leas Cross.
He has also called for an independent nursing home inspectorate to be established.
“The Government has shown a lack of urgency in introducing a much-need independent nursing home inspectorate,” he said.
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