Hiqa ‘not responsible’ for nursing home closure

A health watchdog maintains it is not responsible for the imminent closure of a community nursing home in Co Cork, despite being accused of “putting a gun to the head” of its voluntary board and “treating nine elderly patients cruelly”.

The patients are to be moved out of Cara House, Skibbereen, by June 28 after Hiqa (Health Information and Quality Authority) identified 54 breaches of regulations at the facility.

The watchdog wrote to Skibbereen Geriatric Society board members on May 31 last telling them that if they didn’t address the breaches by the end of this month they would be liable for prosecution.

West Cork councillors who are members of the HSE (South) forum met with senior HSE officials yesterday to discuss if they could get a stay of execution on the move, which they say will prove traumatic for the elderly patients.

Cllr John O’Sullivan (FG), who is chairman of the county council’s Western Division, said public representatives expressed their concerns for the welfare of the patients at an hour-long meeting with the HSE.

“We made a very strong case that this shouldn’t happen. The letter sent by Hiqa to the board put a gun to their heads. They are a voluntary board which opened the community-run nursing home in 1994 and they had no choice but to close or face prosecution,” he said. “Hiqa frightened the board and frightened the patients.”

Mr O’Sullivan said HSE officials had wanted to leave the nursing home open for low-dependency patients.

But its officials decided against that and earlier this week met with patients and their relatives.

“It has been decided that one of the patients will move back in with relatives. The eight others will go to nursing homes in Schull and Clonakilty. This is breaking up friendships and it’s traumatic for the patients,” he said.

Earlier this week councillors attending a meeting in Clonakilty said they were shocked at what was happening.

Cllr Adrian Healy (FG), who is also a Cara House board member, said it was “cruel” to the residents to have them split up.

“There have been no complaints whatsoever over a 20-year period. People living there are being given no choice about where they will go. From what I can see there is no talking to Hiqa. As a board member you have to take notice when you get a letter saying they’re going to prosecute you,” Mr Healy said.

The closure will also result in the loss of 20 jobs.

A Hiqa spokeswoman said, since July 2009, it has been responsible for investigating standards at such facilities. She said that consultation with residents and their families is a matter for the board of Skibbereen Geriatric Society.

“We are working with the society and the HSE locally to ensure the safe and timely transfer of the nine residents to alternative accommodation,” she said.