Elderly left waiting despite Government promises

A YEAR after the Leas Cross nursing home scandal, the Government has failed to establish an independent health inspectorate despite promises to due so by the end of 2005.

Speaking in the Dáil last May, in the wake of a TV programme exposing elder abuse in Leas Cross, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the Government was “determined that a new and stronger regulatory system be put in place so vulnerable people, particularly the elderly, are protected”.

At the time, he also promised: “The relevant Bill to establish the Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) on a statutory basis to deal with both private and public nursing homes will be published later this year.”

Yesterday, a spokesperson for Health Minister and Tánaiste Mary Harney said the necessary legislation would not now be in place until the end of 2006.

Condemning the delay, Tadhg Daly, chief executive of the Irish Nursing Homes Organisation, said the INHO was “seriously alarmed” by one of the provisions of the draft Bill (called the Health Bill 2006) which will allow the Health Service Executive (HSE) continue with inspections of private nursing homes.

Mr Daly said the provision was in direct conflict with the Taoiseach’s promise that “the inspectorate will be independent of the HSE — otherwise, the HSE would be referring patients and also examining facilities”.

Under the new legislation, the SSI will inspect public nursing homes, which are not currently subject to inspections.

Mr Daly said the proposed dual inspection system had the potential to create “conflicting understandings of standards” which was unacceptable to the INHO.

The INHO, he said, was seeking to have public and private nursing homes brought within the remit of the SSI. It also wanted, he said, the introduction of a minimum set of standards of care, including minimum staff-to-resident ratios; an independent qualified building inspectorate to inspect private and public facilities along with mandatory levels of training.

Yesterday, a spokesperson for Ms Harney said a working group on residential care had begun the development of standards for the inspection of all nursing homes and that a draft document was nearing completion. He said submissions would now be sought from interest groups as part of a consultation process. The spokesperson said the standards would be made compulsory and enforced by the SSI, as soon as the Bill was passed.

However, Fine Gael health spokesperson Dr Liam Twomey questioned why a set of standards drawn up the Irish Health Services Accreditation Board (IHSAB) as part of a 182-page report could not be used with immediate effect. A spokesperson for Ms Harney said the IHSAB proposals would be the “goldstar” in terms of accreditation awards, but would be voluntary, while the working group’s minimum standards would be compulsory.

He said the IHSAB accreditation standards would be introduced once national standards are established. Today, Ms Harney will address a SIPTU forum where the trade union will officially launch SIPTU’s report, Care of Older People.