Hiqa to carry out fresh assessment of CUH after safety concerns

An additional Hiqa review of Cork University Hospital is to be carried out amid concerns over staffing and patient safety, although consultants continue to seek a separate independent inquiry

Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said the HSE's chief clinical officer and the national patient safety office found 'no increase in the number of incidents being reported, no category one concerns, no increase in terms of mortality risks or the register in any way' at CUH. File picture: PA

Hiqa will undertake an additional assessment of Cork University Hospital following safety concerns raised by the chief executive of CUH, according to health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.

However, the CUH consultant staff committee said it still wants a separate independent review of staffing levels at the overcrowded hospital. 

That request was first made in August and repeated this week by clinical directors at CUH to Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

When Ms Carroll MacNeill was asked about this on Friday, she told the Irish Examiner: “Hiqa is an independent assessor of patient safety who had given CUH the standard of a clean bill of health you would expect a hospital of that quality to obtain. 

"And Hiqa now, on foot of the concerns being raised by the CEO, will take an additional assessment in relation to CUH.” 

Ms Carroll MacNeill said that when patient safety concerns raised by chief executive Jennifer Kearney first emerged in the media, she had contacted the HSE's chief clinical officer and the national patient safety office — "both of whom went to CUH", she noted.

They found "no increase in the number of incidents being reported, no category one concerns, no increase in terms of mortality risks or the register in any way”, said Ms Carroll MacNeill. 

The minister also "totally rejected" suggestions that the opening of a new surgical hub in Cork, which subsequently had to close for repairs, was a political stunt designed to deflect criticism during the row.

“That surgical hub was scheduled to open for some time. The issue with the air quality became known to us after the opening of it,” she said.

Ms Carroll MacNeill noted that HSE South West is one of four HSE regions under financial restrictions for going 2% above their approved pay spend. 

It has seen "a very significant increase in the permanent workforce”, she said, which has to be “tempered over time to make sure that it is done within the budget the Oireachtas has given it". 

Dr Greg Fulton, chair of the consultant staff committee. said on Friday evening: “Hiqa are going in from a patient safety point of view. 

"That’s not what we asked the independent assessor for. 

"We asked for an independent assessor to look at the body-count essentially.” 

He pointed to a large discrepancy between the approved staff limits and the numbers estimated by CUH as needed.

“The minister is saying we have more staff than ever before but we feel we are actually behind on staff,” he told the Irish Examiner.

Overcrowding at CUH is high, with doctors pointing to bed shortages, staff shortages, and gaps in rehab services.

On Thursday, 90 people could not get a bed at CUH. The next most overcrowded hospital was University Hospital Limerick, where 79 patients were on trolleys.

Overcrowding poses a serious risk, as highlighted by a University of Glasgow-led study of 134 UK emergency departments published last month.

The study found that for every 10% increase in occupancy, the risk of dying from any cause within 28 days rose by 1%.

Researcher Dr Ryan McHenry said the findings suggested emergency department overcrowding may have contributed to an estimated 554 deaths each week across the UK during the study period.