Hospitals failing to meet minimum standards due to overcrowding

The health watchdog Hiqa is to warn of the ongoing impact of covid on the entire healthcare system. Stock Picture: Sam Boal / © RollingNews.ie

Overcrowding is leading to a growing number of hospitals failing to meet national standards, according to the health watchdog.

Hiqa will address the Oireachtas Health Committee on Wednesday and is expected to call for urgent investment in expanding capacity across the whole healthcare system including in the community to address the overcrowding issue.

It will call for changes at local and national level across governance and management to address performance issues and improve patient experiences.

It is expected to discuss where some hospitals are getting things right and raise questions around support for others in achieving the same improvements.

It will highlight what is needed for success which includes having enough beds and staff to manage demand locally as well as effective systems for managing patients’ flow through the hospitals.

Hiqa (the Health Information and Quality Authority) also regulates designated centres for adults and children with disabilities, older people and children’s special care units.

Hiqa is expected to tell the Committee of the ongoing impact of the pandemic on care in many of these centres, as outlined in a report they published on Monday.

This report noted that during the pandemic many centres were not inspected in person by management or did not have medical staff and families visiting as often as before, finding this contributed to a deterioration in meeting standards.

The health watchdog is also expected to discuss health policy including around the long Covid, the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme and childhood immunisations.

In relation to long covid, it will say their ongoing work will inform the development of a new public health strategy for Ireland.