Hiqa goes to court over fears for clients

Poor management of three HSE-run centres for people with disabilities in East Cork were the main reason that health watchdog Hiqa went to court over concerns for resident safety.

St Raphael’s campus in Youghal was found to be inadequately staffed, with conditions that put residents at risk, while complaints about abuse were not dealt with properly by management.

The litany of failings revealed during nine inspections between March and October this year included excessive restraint of residents, inability to prevent or deal with aggressive behaviour, and insufficient measures to protect dignity and privacy.