‘Name and prosecute’ hospital hygiene offenders

Hospitals that repeatedly fail to meet basic hygiene standards should face “criminal neglect” charges for putting patients’ lives at risk, with calls for doctors to be “named and shamed” over the problem.

The call came from members of the Oireachtas Health Committee during the group’s latest meeting with the Health Information Quality Authority yesterday.

Responding to the latest in a series of reports on hospital hygiene scandals published last week, public representatives across the political divide said drastic action is needed to ensure the matter is addressed.