HSE fails to act on Mallow hospital issues

A REPORT into the quality and safety of services at Mallow General Hospital found ongoing issues of concern among staff were not addressed by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

It also found an over-reliance at times on the goodwill of senior doctors to provide on-site out-of-hours cover, an arrangement investigators said raised concerns about the long- term sustainability of the existing system of care.

The report by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) said in terms of clinical services, Mallow General Hospital had “evolved in isolation” and had been “essentially absent” from the governance structures within the Cork University Hospital Group for a number of years.