Latest news with #HealthInformationandQualityAuthority
Irish Independent
10-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
17 beds at a Cork nursing home remain closed due to ‘HIQA paperwork', local politician claims
Seventeen beds remain closed at a Bantry nursing home because the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is 'dragging its heels,' according to a West Cork Councillor. Cllr Danny Collins put forward a motion at this week's meeting of the West Cork Municipal District calling on Cork County Council to write to HIQA to reopen the closed beds at Aperee Living Nursing Home in Seafield, Bantry. A receiver was appointed to the nursing home in July last year and it was one of five nursing homes operated by the Aperee Living group in Cork, Galway and Kilkenny put up for sale last autumn. Aperee Living was under pressure to meet regulatory standards at a number of its properties, leading to the closure of some and the HSE taking over the running of others. A HIQA report based on inspections carried out last year found the Bantry nursing home non-compliant in the areas of fire precautions, governance and management, and statement of purpose. Cllr Collins told the Irish Independent that the receiver has dealt with those issues and now it's up to HIQA to sign off on them to allow the empty beds to be opened to patients. 'So basically what happened here from day one is that HIQA has been dragging their heels to be quite honest. It's been going on for seven to eight months. The receiver did all the work that had to be done, they were finished by Christmas. And everything was passed by fire officers. And now it's just paperwork really. That's what's holding it up.' The Independent Ireland Councillor said the issue is exacerbating the shortage of nursing home beds in West Cork. 'At the moment we have 24 residents staying there, but there's 17 empty beds. A week hardly passes without either I or [West Cork TD] Michael Collins' office getting one or two people looking for beds,' he told this newspaper. Cllr Collins spoke of an elderly man who has to travel from West Cork to a nursing home in Kenmare to see his wife because there isn't a place available closer to home. 'It's a long journey for him to do, but if she was living in Bantry, he could call to her every morning or every evening.' The Bantry Councillor said he understands there is a buyer interested in buying the Seafield nursing home, but 'he's not going to buy unless everything is signed off. The ball is in HIQA's court. This could be all sorted out if they sat down around the table.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
RTÉ News
02-07-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Emeis Ireland pauses all nursing home admissions
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has said that Emeis Ireland, the nursing home group which operates the two care centres featured in the RTÉ Investigates programme last month, has paused admissions to all 25 homes it runs in Ireland. An interim report published by HIQA outlines the regulatory history of the 25 centres, and details how it had to place restrictions on the operations of seven of the 25 homes as they failed to comply with regulations. The authority says at the Residence Portlaoise, which featured in the RTÉ Investigates programme, it had to issue "a formal letter warning of prosecution if the provider admitted any new residents and the condition was breached again", after it received information that the operator had not ceased admissions on 22 April as ordered. This followed a restrictive condition issued to the home after failings in care were discovered during inspections in October 2024, and in February this year. At the other home featured in the programme, Firstcare Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin in Dublin had a "chequered history of regulatory compliance" since 2021. It notes that in that year the home "voluntarily stopped admissions" and "also recognised that they were admitting residents whose needs they could not meet and agreed to review this". It says there was improvement in 2022, but an inspection in July 2023 found these were not sustained. A series of subsequent inspections led to improvements seen in an inspection in November last year. HIQA says The Residence Carton in Raheny, Dublin 6, which changed its name from TLC Carton in 2024, "has a history of poor compliance with the regulations, specifically regarding Governance and Management and Infection Prevention and Control". After several meetings with the provider, HIQA issued a letter last year warning it would cancel registration for the home unless issues were addressed "in a timely manner". It also issued a Notice of Proposed Decision which would have prevented the home admitting any patients, but this was not proceeded with, after the company issued a robust plan to address the issues and follow up inspection identified that improvements had been made. At the Belmont Private Nursing Home in Stillorgan, Co Dublin HIQA attached a restrictive condition in June 2022 "because the size and layout of all bedroom accommodation in the nursing home did not support the privacy and dignity of the residents living in these shared rooms". This was removed in October 2023 when the provider had complied with the requirements of the order. But an unannounced visit to the nursing home in January 2024 identified non compliance on infection prevention and control, premises and fire precautions. There was a cautionary meeting after which the management reduced the number of residents to enhance the lived experience of patients. At the Brookvale Manor Private Nursing Home in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, HIQA attached a restrictive condition in 2021 to reduce the number of residents from 57 to 37 to ensure that "residents are in receipt of appropriate care and support" and "the management team in place for the centre knows what a good service looks like and can ensure the delivery of that service". The restriction was removed in October 2023 and "The registered provider has sustained the improvements that were implements (sic) as evidenced by the findings of the most recent inspection in March 2025." At the Residence Citywest, in Fortunestown, Dublin 24, inspectors found during a visit in 2022 that the provider, Cubedale Limited, "was not complying with key regulations which underpin the care of residents: governance and management, oversight of the day to day operation of the nursing home, staffing and residents rights resulted in escalating regulatory engagement". There were two subsequent unannounced visits "before inspectors could be satisfied that Cubedale Limited was on a pathway to improved regulatory compliance and that the care of residents was improving." The most recent inspection in August 2024 "evidenced good levels of compliance with regulations, and residents and families expressed their satisfaction with the service in the nursing home. Staff and resident interactions were found to be positive and respectful," the report said. Maynooth Lodge Nursing Home in Co Kildare "has had an inconsistent history of regulatory compliance arising out of an unstable governance and management structure, insufficient staffing resources at times and ineffective service oversight." The report notes that "since 2021 there have been seven changes in the person in charge". Inspectors were sufficiently concerned to require weekly updates on staffing levels from October 2021 to March 2022. There was an improvement in March 2022, leading to an increase in the number of beds permitted at the home in May of that year. But then "subsequent risk inspections carried out on foot of unsolicited information in 2023 found a gradual decline in compliance and that the improvements previously observed were not sustained in the long-term." Inspections last year found "improving levels of compliance". The Residence Ashbourne, in Co Meath, "has had a history of non-compliance with regulations which resulted in escalating regulatory action and the addition of a restrictive condition to the registration of the designated centre." But HIQA reports the registered provider has since 2022 "continued on an improved trajectory of regulatory compliance across most regulations. Concerns in respect of premises and infection control were effectively addressed." 'Work in progress' HIQA says The Residence in Santry, Co Dublin, has "a chequered history of compliance over the past five years." Inspectors have found "sustained good levels of care and clinical oversight with good regulatory compliance," but also "significant and repeated concerns in respect of the governance and management and oversight of premises and fire safety persisted, which led to escalating regulatory action". This led to the number of beds at the centre being reduced from 128 in 2023 to 94 in 2024. That restrictive condition was removed last October when specific issues were addressed. HIQA says a programme of renovations "remains a work in progress" but inspectors could see improvements with the most recent announced inspection in June. The RTÉ Investigates programme, broadcast on 4 June, uncovered multiple examples of care failings and neglect of vulnerable older residents at the two nursing homes, run by Emeis Ireland. An interim HIQA report published on 17 June revealed hundreds of cases of alleged or confirmed abuse at Firstcare Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin in Co Dublin since June 2022 and at The Residence Portlaoise since December 2023. The report said a high number of notifications "does not necessarily indicate a non-compliant service, and often means a strong culture of recognising and submitting incidents which fall into the required notification categories".
Irish Daily Mirror
20-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Inspector who cleared nursing home with abuse allegations worked on same campus
The 'lead' HIQA inspector who cleared controversial Beneavin Manor twice last year, despite almost 200 notifications of alleged abuse, worked in a sister nursing home on the same campus for two years, the Irish Mirror can reveal. In a lengthy statement, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) denied any wrongdoing, saying that the nursing home had changed ownership between the time the person worked there and the completion of the inspections. Beneavin Manor and The Residence in Portlaoise, Co Laois, were featured in an RTÉ Investigates documentary earlier this month. The homes, which are run by Emeis Ireland, were widely criticised after the undercover footage of residents crying out for help, being left in soiled clothes, and being incorrectly handled. An interim report from HIQA, published on Tuesday evening, revealed that there have been 198 notifications regarding suspected or confirmed allegations of abuse to residents in Beneavin Manor between January 2022 and June 2025. The Irish Mirror can now reveal that a HIQA inspector who used to work in Beneavin House was involved in two inspections at Beneavin Manor last year, which found that the nursing home was mostly compliant. Beneavin House, Beneavin Manor and Beneavin Lodge are all situated directly beside each other in Glasnevin. All are now owned by Emeis. The inspector is listed as the 'lead' inspector in two inspections at Firstcare Beneavin Manor on May 15 2024 and November 7 2024. The May report found that Beneavin Manor was 'compliant' or 'substantially compliant' under most regulations. However, it was found non-compliant with three regulations, including governance and management, contracts for the provision of services, and food and nutrition. The November report noted they were 'compliant' and 'substantially compliant' on all regulations. According to LinkedIn, the person listed as the lead inspector on both reports worked as a Clinical Nurse Manager at Beneavin House Nursing Home between June 2015 and June 2017. They then worked as director of nursing in two other nursing homes before moving to HIQA to become an inspector in September 2020. In a lengthy statement, HIQA stated that the nursing home had changed ownership and the inspector had never worked for Beneavin House under the new ownership. A spokesperson said that HIQA has a conflict of interest policy and 'inspectors of social services employed to inspect nursing homes have often worked in nursing homes in the public or private sector or a combination of both' and that a 'key requirement of any applicant for a job as an inspector is at least three years' experience working in a supervisory or management position in a health or social care service, regulatory, or other setting deemed relevant by the Authority'. They continued: '[Name] commenced work as an inspector of social services in September 2020. 'As is standard practice and in line with our conflict of interest policy, she was not required to inspect or to have regulatory oversight of those centres where she worked previously. 'As [she] was employed by Beneavin House Ltd, (the then owner of Beneavin House between 2015 and 2017), this centre and the other Beneavin Centres were not included in [her] caseload at that time. 'Given the passage of time and the change in ownership of the nursing homes in 2024, the issue of a conflict of interest was discussed again by [name] and her line manager with both satisfied that there was no longer any conflict of interest or any reason why [she] would not inspect First Care Beneavin Manor or the First Care Beneavin Lodge. 'She has not inspected First Care Beneavin House, the centre where she used to work. 'To be clear, [she] has never worked for Firstcare Beneavin House Ltd, the company that currently owns First Care Beneavin House, which was acquired by Emeis in 2024. 'In addition, [she] has not worked in Beneavin Manor or been employed by Firstcare Beneavin Manor Ltd. '[She] has never been employed by Emeis or any of the companies that are owned or operated by Emeis.'
Sunday World
18-06-2025
- Health
- Sunday World
Over 230 allegations of abuse made against two nursing homes with staff reported to gardaí
Breaking | Some staff in the nursing homes featured in a damning TV exposé have been reported to gardai, An image from RTÉ Investigates - Inside Ireland's Nursing Homes. The allegations were made against Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin in Dublin. There were 40 notifications of allegations of abuse at the Residence in Portlaoise which featured in the same programme. Some staff in the nursing homes featured in a damning TV exposé have been reported to gardai, according to the report. Emeis, the owners of the two nursing homes featured showing litany of repeated care failings in two nursing homes, have also been told at a face-to-face meeting the facilities will be closed unless they ensure residents will no longer be treated in an 'inhumane' manner. The revelations are contained in a report from the regulator, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) which inspects nursing homes. The report to the Minister for Older People, Kieran O'Donnell, comes on foot of the RTÉ Investigates undercover revelations about the nursing were found to have a litany of failings in undercover footage including chronic staff shortages, vulnerable residents left unsupervised, the inappropriate handling of frail older people and a lack of basic supplies such as towels, bedsheets, gloves and sanitary wipes. Hiqa said the notifications of allegations of abuse "does not necessarily indicate a non-compliant service, and often means a strong culture of recognising and submitting incidents which fall into the required notification categories". 'They can include a wide range of incidents such as residents' altercations with other residents, the tone that someone is spoken to, through to more significant suspicions or allegations." Hiqa and Mr O' Donnell will appear before the Oireachtas health committee Wednesday to be questioned on the oversight of nursing homes. In its report to the minister since the airing of the programme, Hiqa said: 'Senior Emeis Ireland officers, who are also directors of each company operating the two nursing homes, were required to attend a formal warning meeting with the Chief Inspector on June 9 to set out the actions they were taking to ensure the residents in both The Residence Portlaoise and Firstcare Beneavin Manor were safe and were receiving the care that they should. 'Both providers were issued with an official warning of cancellation of registration should they fail to implement significant improvements in the care of residents. 'They were also required to set out how they would be addressing the ineffective systems of oversight, management and supervision, and the staff culture issues in each nursing home which enabled staff members to treat their residents in such an inhumane manner.' They were also required to set out how they would be addressing the ineffective systems of oversight, management and supervision, and the staff culture issues in each nursing home which enabled staff members to treat their residents in such an inhumane manner. Hiqa said the owners gave commitments regarding the care of residents in both homes including that they are currently complying with the condition preventing admissions to The Residence Portlaoise and will continue to comply. They are aware that they cannot admit residents there until the condition is removed. They have voluntarily ceased the admission of any new residents to Firstcare Beneavin Manor until they were assured that the issues were addressed. Management and staffing levels have been increased in both centres with immediate effect. Senior staff from other nursing homes have been deployed to improve the effectiveness of staff supervision in both centres. External, independent consultants have been retained to undertake a root cause analysis of what occurred in both centres, to inform further ongoing actions to be taken by the provider. Staff disciplinary action had been initiated and where appropriate, referrals had been made to An Garda Síochána. Hiqa came under criticism for the favourable report it made on the Glasnevin facility following an inspection in November. 'Hiqa is appalled by the way that residents were treated, and such treatment goes against the core values of Hiqa and its staff.' An image from RTÉ Investigates - Inside Ireland's Nursing Homes. News in 90 Seconds - June 17 Hiqa said: 'It is not possible for inspectors to be in a centre all of the time, and generally, staff that behave in the manner presented on the RTÉ Investigates programme will not behave like that when an inspector is present. Where inspectors have identified poor care and support, this has been detailed in inspection reports and subsequent regulatory action taken. HIQA publishes all nursing home inspection reports on its website to ensure transparency for the public.' It has carried out a series of inspections of the homes since the programme. 'As expected, in the aftermath of the programme, inspectors found that the provider had taken a range of measures to address the immediate risk to residents. Over the three days of inspection of both Firstcare Beneavin Manor and The Residence Portlaoise, inspectors found that issues such as supplies and linen had been addressed. While actions had been taken to improve staffing, further improvements to staffing and staff supervision were required.', said the report. A wider review of homes owned by Emeis is underway. The minister he and Department officials, met with Hiqa on June 4 to discuss regulatory activity relating to the nursing homes featured in the RTÉ Investigates programme. At this meeting the Minister was advised that Hiqa and the Office of the Chief Inspector would continue their intensive engagement with both The Residence Portlaoise and Beneavin Manor, Glasnevin and requested an update on progress by the end of last week. He also asked Hiqa to provide a comprehensive overview of the nursing home operators which are owned by Emeis Ireland. The Chief Inspector has committed to delivering a full report by the end of this week, providing an overview of regulatory history, including but not limited to regulatory compliance, escalating enforcement actions and any additional conditions. Emeis has apologised to residents and their families for the distress caused by the failings identified saying it has launched an in-depth review to immediately address all issues .
RTÉ News
17-06-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
Nursing home had 198 notifications of abuse allegations
An interim report from the Health Information and Quality Authority into the two nursing homes featured in an RTÉ Investigates programme has revealed one of the residences had almost 200 notifications of allegations of abuse of patients since January 2022. There were 198 notifications of an "allegation, suspected or confirmed of abuse to a resident" in the Firstcare Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin, according to the report. There were 40 notifications of allegations of abuse at The Residence Portlaoise during the same time period. The report said a high number of notifications "does not necessarily indicate a non-compliant service, and often means a strong culture of recognising and submitting incidents which fall into the required notification categories". It also said the types of notifications of abuse, known as "NF06" notifications, are required "where there is a suspicion or allegation of abuse, which may or may not be substantiated, and can include a wide range of incidents such as residents' altercations with other residents, the tone that someone is spoken to, through to more significant suspicions or allegations." In relation to the other home featured in the programme, The Residence, Portlaoise, HIQA reports that 40 monitoring notifications of an allegation, suspected or confirmed abuse of a resident between 14 December 2023 and 6 June 2025. The authority said: "A high number of notifications received from a service does not necessarily indicate a non-compliant service, and often means a strong culture of recognising and submitting incidents which fall into the required notification categories." It added: "It is important to note that NF06 notifications are required where there is a suspicion or allegation of abuse, which may or may not be substantiated, and can include a wide range of incidents such as residents' altercations with other residents, the tone that someone is spoken to, through to more significant suspicions or allegations." The interim report on HIQA's engagement with the two nursing homes over the past two weeks was received by Minister of State Kieran O'Donnell on Friday, 13 June.
