Hygiene deteriorates at Limerick hospital
An inspection of the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital found:
Dirty bed pans.
Breast milk in a fridge for staff food.
Bait boxes in two of the ward kitchens.
Poor segregation of clinical and non-clinical waste.
Patients’ shoes and hoists in two of the clean linen storage rooms.
Dirty sinks.
Torn cot and bed mattresses.
Hand-washing techniques did not always comply with best practice.
The report, by HIQA, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) also found a high level of dust throughout the premises.
“The monitoring assessment found that the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital did not meet the requirements ... to ensure that the key aspects of hygiene services are delivered safely, efficiently and effectively,” HIQA said.
The hospital was assessed across seven areas including physical environment, cleanliness of medical equipment, waste storage and disposal, hand hygiene practises, cleanliness of kitchens, cleanliness of linen and soft furnishings and condition of cleaning equipment.
The hospital achieved less than 40% compliance in three areas including cleanliness of physical environment and kitchens and hand hygiene.
In the remaining areas, it achieved less than 65% compliance – HIQA expects all hospitals to achieve levels of compliance of over 85% with all of the National Hygiene Services Quality Standards.
HIQA said the hospital “must address the significant shortfalls in performance in order to provide safe, efficient and effective hygiene services”.
HIQA has issued a risk letter to the hospital requesting that an appropriate action plan be submitted by the hospital by December 18.
Yesterday a spokesperson for the Health Service Executive (HSE) West said it had responded to HIQA with details of an action plan designed to rectify all the deficiencies outlined in the audit.
This includes a deep clean of the hospital which is more than 40 years old.
