100 healthcare facilities to face hygiene test

THE Health Service Executive is to scrutinise up to 100, 24-hour healthcare facilities to establish if they meet basic hygiene requirements.

The two-year programme of inspections will begin in October and will focus on the HSE’s residential-owned and operated care facilities, including elderly, disability and mental health services.

It will be assessing the methods used by the health care professionals to reduce the risk of hospital-born infections such as MRSA and C-diff, incidences of which have increased dramatically in recent years.