Hospital staff facing sanctions over hygiene

Staff at Beaumont Hospital face a range of sanctions, from withdrawal of some privileges to disciplinary action, if they fail to comply with hygiene standards.

The threat of sanctions emerged following a dismal showing by the large Dublin hospital in a report compiled by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

The report found doctors at Beaumont are failing to engage in the simple act of hand-washing before treating patients, increasing the risk of spreading infection.