'The grief felt by families is still fresh': Calls for inquiry into nursing home deaths

Some 27 residents died in CareChoice Ballynoe in January and February 2021.

Families who lost loved ones in a Co Cork nursing home during the Covid pandemic have repeated their calls for a public inquiry into how they died.

Some 27 residents died in CareChoice Ballynoe in January and February 2021, and of the 24 who died after contracting Covid-19, 21 passed away between February 1 and February 11.

Families have criticised the standard of care that some residents received, especially in the last hours of their lives. Their claims have been disputed by CareChoice Ballynoe.

There have also been concerns about the way the home was being run in the lead up to and during the outbreak early last year that claimed so many lives.

At the weekend, the families of those who died held a memorial outside the home and laid flowers at the entrance.

'We have many questions'

Pat Coyle, whose wife Veronica died last February, said: “We are still trying to deal with how our loved ones died.

“The grief felt by the families when their loved ones died is still as fresh today.

“We have many questions and very serious concerns surrounding their deaths but 12 months later these questions and concerns are unresolved.” He added: “We and the many other families who lost loved ones in nursing homes around the country have called on and will continue to call on Micheál Martin, and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to put in place a human rights-focused public inquiry that is independent of any State bodies.

“We also reiterate our call for an investigation into what happened at Ballynoe and other nursing homes that have similar death rates.

“How many more anniversaries will there be before the Government acts to resolve the issue of the nursing homes deaths by putting in place the public inquiry in general and that the families need?” Mr Coyle said.

The Department of Health told the Irish Examiner: “The pandemic has not concluded and ongoing management of Covid-19 response remains a priority.

“The establishment of any broader review or evaluation of the State’s response to the Covid-19 would be a matter for Government to decide on at the appropriate time.” 

Inspection report

In September, Hiqa produced an inspection report that was critical of CareChoice Ballynoe for its poor infection control, inadequate staff training, and failure to inform authorities of nine of the deaths within the required timeframe.

The health watchdog said that on its February 11 visit last year, by which stage 19 residents had died, staff were seen congregating in narrow hallways without appropriate adherence to social distancing.

Inspectors also found the storage of PPE with cleaning items meant the PPE could potentially be cross-contaminated.

Inspectors found the infection control policy provided by management of CareChoice Ballynoe in Upper Glanmire did not give staff specific advice on how to manage an outbreak of Covid-19.