A failure to protect residents from abuse among issues at Clare hospital
Hiqa found a number of centres in Cork showed 'substantial improvements' since previous inspections in 2022. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland
The Health and Information Quality Authority (Hiqa) has found a community hospital and hospice in Clare was non-compliant with seven health regulations, including protecting residents from abuse.
When Hiqa inspectors visited Cahercalla Community Hospital and Hospice in Ennis last October, they identified a number of issues including:
- A number of staff were not wearing personal protective equipment correctly;
- A record had not been documented for residents following an incident at the centre;
- On the day of inspection, there were four and a half full time nursing posts unfilled;
- The inspector found bags of dirty laundry stored in sluices and in open cages outside;
- Poorly recorded safety location charts did not provide assurance that an appropriate care plan was in place. For example, a resident that was on increased monitoring in the centre had significant gaps in the location charts.
Furthermore, Hiqa found there was a “failure to take reasonable measures to protect residents from abuse".
This included a failure by staff to instigate an investigation into an allegation of abuse and a number of incidents which were repeats of previous non-compliance warnings.
The centre cares for up to 112 residents, with 108 present on the day of inspection.
Hiqa has published 60 inspection reports detailing surprise visits by inspectors to nursing homes, care centres, community hospitals and hospices across Ireland between July and November 2022.
It found a number of centres in Cork showed "substantial improvements" since previous inspections in 2022.
However, Ballincurrig care centre in Leamlara had problems with infection control, with a number of risks of cross-infection, a similar problem found in the May 2022 inspection.
Elsewhere, one centre in Dublin was found to be non-compliant with six Hiqa regulations, including brown stains on residents’ bedroom floors, a lack of space causing privacy issues and causing some treatment to be impacted.
Across the inspections, many centres were non-compliant when it related to: governance and management, premises, fire precautions, residents' rights, protection, and infection control.
Where non-compliance with the regulations was identified, providers were required to submit compliance plans to demonstrate how they will make improvements and come into compliance with the regulations.
