Hiqa critical of investigation delay

Health watchdog Hiqa has criticised what it called “an unacceptable delay” in the completion of an investigation into an alleged incident at a home for people with disabilities.

The incident is alleged to have taken place at the designated centre for people with disabilities, operated by the HSE in Wexford, as far back as December 17 last.

In an inspection report, Hiqa said it received notification of the incident — details of which it did not outline — on January 15, with a “systems analysis investigation” currently being undertaken by the HSE.

Interviews for this investigation had taken place on May 27 and Hiqa said: “There has been an unacceptable delay in the completion of this investigation.”

A separate report on a centre operated by the Daughters of Charity Disability Support Services Ltd in Co Tipperary states the person in charge had not been made aware of a previous complaint made by a nurse working in the centre in November 2013 in relation to alleged poor practices, or about an anonymous complaint last December regarding allegations of abuse in the centre.