Nursing home inspections report stays under wraps

HEALTH chiefs refused last night to release inspections of a nursing home suspended from accepting public residents despite concerns about the facility’s standards.

St Margaret’s nursing home in north Dublin emerged as one of several homes sanctioned following inspections in recent months. Despite the Health Service Executive (HSE) admitting “actions” were needed at the 26-bedfacility, it is withholding inspection reports.

It suspended public admissions to the home on November 22 last. In a surprising move, St Margaret’s owner has now asked that public patients be removed.

Health chiefs are trying to dissuade the owner from moving out residents.

“The HSE would hope that the registered proprietor would reconsider her decision to request the HSE to remove current contract patients in the best interest of the individual patients and their families,” a HSE statement read. Representatives will meet families at the home this morning.

But the decision by the HSE to keep inspections of St Margaret’s secret was deemed a “mess” and a “cover-up” by Fine Gael.

Louth TD Fergus O’Dowd said: “We’ve no way of knowing what’s gone on in there. We don’t know what the issues are.

“In general, inspections shouldn’t be negotiated. When a home breaches health regulations, it should be prosecuted.”

But the HSE said its decision was in case inspection reports “prejudiced future court actions” against home owners.

“When the issues are resolved, we will be in a position to publish the report,” a spokeswoman said.

Another facility of St Margaret’s owner, Sutton nursing home in north Dublin, is also scheduled to close next month.

The HSE says there is no immediate risk to any resident at St Margaret’s nursing home. Health officials last night admitted in a number of areas, there is a shortage of medical staff for inspections. At present, there are three nursing homes nationwide, including St Margaret’s, suspended from admitting public patients.

Support group Age Action last night called for “greater transparency” in all nursing homes. It described the move where families were asked to find alternative homes for their relatives as “disturbing”.

“Even more disturbing is the fact that private residents are being retained by the nursing home. This raises the obvious question if there are issues around standards for public residents, then surely these same problems face private residents.

“The fact that no report on this nursing home appeared on the HSE website was the only hint that something was amiss. The public and particularly relatives of people in nursing homes need to know immediately if problems arise. It is incredible that relatives were kept in the dark for at least two months about the concerns the HSE raised.”