The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) published six inspection reports on public hospitals between June and September 2023 and found they were mostly in compliance with standards.
The six hospitals inspected were Mayo University Hospital, Sligo University Hospital, The Rehabilitation Unit, St Mary’s Care Centre, Regional Hospital Mullingar, Clontarf Hospital, Carlow District Hospital and National Rehabilitation Hospital.
Regarding Mayo University Hospital, HIQA found the hospital to be compliant or substantially compliant in eight national standards and partially compliant in five of the 13 national standards assessed.
Several improvements were noted since the last inspection, such as the reconfiguration of the quality and safety department, recruitment of quality and patient safety personnel, and the introduction of a patient advisory liaison service.
While the times for patients to progress through the emergency department had improved since the last inspection, they remained outside HSE targets.
In terms of Sligo University Hosptial, their inspection found the hospital to be compliant or substantially compliant in five national standards and partially or non-compliant in eight of the 13 national standards inspected.
The hospital had systematic monitoring arrangements in place for identifying and acting on opportunities to continually improve the quality and safety of all services.
However, recommendations and areas for improvement identified by audit and monitoring activity required implementation to ensure improvements in practice occurred.
The hospital had improved medical staffing levels in the ED which will have a significant positive impact. However, shortfalls in the nurse staffing in ED were having an impact on optimal staffing complement for day and night shifts, and inspectors found limited improvement from the last inspection in September 2022.
The Rehabilitation Unit, St Mary’s Care Centre in Mullingar was found to be compliant or substantially compliant with nine national standards and partially compliant with two national standards assessed during inspection.
HIQA found generally good levels of compliance on the day of inspection.
Activities in the unit were designed to encourage independence and to help patients integrate back into activities of daily life.
HIQA’s inspection of Clontarf Hospital found the hospital to be compliant or substantially compliant in all 11 national standards assessed on inspection.
Clontarf Hospital had formalised corporate and clinical governance arrangements in place for assuring the delivery of high-quality, safe and reliable healthcare and had systematic monitoring arrangements in place for identifying and acting on opportunities to continually improve the quality and safety of all services.
HIQA found Carlow District Hospital to be compliant or substantially compliant with 10 national standards and partially complaint with one standard on the day of inspection.
Staff in Carlow District Hospital promoted a person-centred approach to care and patients who spoke with inspectors were very complimentary of staff and the care received in the hospital.
Carlow District Hospital also had systems and processes in place to respond effectively to complaints and concerns raised by patients and or families. The hospital’s physical environment and staffing levels also supported the delivery of high-quality, safe healthcare.
Finally, HIQA found the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire to be compliant or substantially compliant with nine national standards and partially compliant with two national standards assessed during inspection.
Areas of improvement were identified relating to unfilled staff positions across a range of disciplines to support comprehensive rehabilitation programmes.
In addition, hospital management should also keep out-of-hours medical cover arrangements under continuous review, particularly in the context of long-term ventilated patients and the planned increase in bed capacity.
There were a number of controls in place at the hospital to reduce these risks; however, hospital management need to ensure that these risks are formally and regularly reviewed and evaluated.
Despite these areas for improvement, a culture of kindness, consideration and respect was evident in the hospital and promoted by a number of practices.
