Health watchdog ‘hamstrung’ in care home physical risk cases

The State’s health watchdog has admitted feeling "slightly hamstrung" in dealing with cases where an elderly nursing home resident is in physical danger.

The admission was made by the Health Information and Quality Authority’s (Hiqa) director of regulation, Phelim Quinn, when he appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children.

Since 2009, Hiqa has been responsible for the registration and inspection of designated residential homes for older people.