Latest news with #Hiqa
Irish Times
18-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Two people moved from Cork disability centre ‘for their own safety' after incident with another resident
Two residents at a Cork city disability centre had to be moved to another house 'for their own safety' after an incident with another resident, the health and safety watchdog has said. The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) published 28 inspection reports on disability services including one on an unannounced visit to Cork City North 13 centre , a facility run by Horizons. It was conducted on March 20th on foot of unsolicited information about the 'quality of care and support provided to residents'. At the time of the inspection, the provider was housing eight residents, a number of whom raised concerns about the behaviour of another resident. READ MORE One resident said this person, admitted in April of last year, was banging on doors throughout the home, which they said was 'frightening'. The resident stayed with a family member for a number of nights because they were 'upset' in response to the incidents. Another resident asked to speak to the inspector privately, telling them they were unhappy living there and did not feel safe there. 'One staff member told the inspector that in response to an incident two weeks before the inspection had taken place, they had to move two residents to another house 'for their safety',' the report notes. Hiqa's inspection also highlighted how the disability centre did not alert the chief inspector of an allegation or confirmed incident of abuse of resident in the centre within three working days. A complaint was made regarding the quality of care and support provided to a resident in the centre in January of last year, the report said. The complainant noted an alleged incident in November of last year where a resident had received marks to their arm which they stated had been caused by another person living in the centre. 'The alleged injury had been reviewed by staff nurses working in the centre where it had been deemed to be as a result of a medical issue,' the report said, adding that this was not reported to the Office of Chief Inspector. A number of incidents were noted pertaining to the impact of one resident's behaviour on others including banging and kicking doors in their home and going into residents' bedrooms and waking them. However, the report said there was no evidence to suggest this had been acknowledged or considered as 'psychological abuse' and had not been reported. The inspectors said residents were not protected from the risk of harm or from all forms of abuse. In the compliance plan submitted to Hiqa, the provider confirmed the resident who was admitted in April of last year was no longer living in the centre. It also outlined plans to improve rostering and address staff shortages.
The Journal
17-07-2025
- Health
- The Journal
'Truly shocking and should never have happened': Hiqa chief on RTÉ nursing home doc
HIQA CHIEF EXECUTIVE Angela Fitzgerald agreed today that the RTÉ Investigates programme highlighting poor treatment and practice within two nursing homes run by Emeis Ireland was the 'worst' she had seen in her role as head of the health watchdog. 'I was shocked and appalled, and felt let down by the provider,' Fitzgerald said today, acknowledging public confidence in the Health Information and Quality Authority had been 'damaged' by the revelations. Speaking to the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Fitzgerald apologised to those impacted by the abuses, and said Hiqa had 'a lot more to do as regulator'. During the hearing, Fine Gael TD James Geoghegan had asked Fitzgerald if she had ever seen anything worse during her three years at head of the organisation. She agreed she had not, adding: 'I hadn't seen the type of behaviours, my colleagues as inspectors had never witnessed the behaviours there.' What was broadcast, she said, 'was truly shocking and should never have happened'. The programme, which aired in June, involved two RTÉ researchers working undercover in two different homes; one in The Residence Portlaoise, and one in Beneavin Manor in Glasnevin. Emeis Ireland, formerly known as Orpea, operates 27 nursing homes across the country having entering the Irish market in 2022. Advertisement Almost 200 notifications of 'alleged, suspected or confirmed' abuse of residents at Beneavin were received by Hiqa between 2022 and June this year, according to an interim report released two weeks after the RTÉ programme aired. The Residence had 40 such notifications. Asked at the committee how the Glasnevin home was allowed to remain open, Susan Cliffe, Deputy Chief Inspector with Hiqa, told TDs: 'We wouldn't close a nursing home unless there was absolutely no other option.' Cliffe said Beneavin Manor has been inspected three times since the RTÉ programme aired, and nothing seen had warranted closure. She said the watchdog is taking regulatory action against both nursing homes featured in the RTÉ programme, and both now have limits on admissions. Fine Gael TD James Geoghegan, said the 'natural consequence' of the RTÉ Investigates programmes is to question whether Hiqa is 'fit for purpose' as an inspection body. 'I find it hard to believe that after 20 years of Hiqa being active that something like this could happen', he added. 22 of the nursing homes operated by Emeis have been inspected since the RTÉ Investigates programme aired, with one inspected a second time, the committee was told today. Seven nursing homes in Ireland were closed in 2024 due to findings of non-compliance. In the previous year, one was closed. Hiqa said that 0ver 80% of nursing home visits are unannounced. However, several TDs noted that the treatment uncovered by the RTÉ Investigates programme was unlikely to be identified without an undercover inspection. The Hiqa officials at the committee said they were unclear if they are permitted to carry out undercover inspections and would have to look into the legality. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
17-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Hiqa made 28 referrals to gardaí over nursing homes in 2024, PAC told
Twenty-eight referrals were made to gardaí by the State's health and safety watchdog last year in relation to concerns around nursing homes , an Oireachtas committee has heard. Last month, a programme by RTÉ Investigates highlighted instances of alleged abuse at two nursing homes: Beneavin Manor, Dublin, and The Residence, Portlaoise. Both homes are run by Emeis, the largest provider of private nursing home beds in the State. The programme included footage of frail, older people, some of whom had dementia, allegedly being manhandled, 'forced' down into chairs and left for hours. It showed them being left in incontinence pads for so long their clothes were soaked and being ignored when they pleaded for help to go to the toilet. Following the airing of the programme, Emeis paused all new admissions into its 25 nursing homes around the State. READ MORE Speaking at a meeting of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, members of the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), which regulates nursing homes, said it closes a nursing home only as a last resort. Susan Cliffe, deputy chief inspector of social services at Hiqa, said other measures were used first, including referrals made to various bodies. In 2024 there were 28 referrals to gardaí, two to the Department of Social Protection and two to fire services, she said. Ms Cliffe said the organisation can close homes when it needs to. In 2024, 10 notices were issued to nursing homes and seven of them have closed, she said, adding that a further one is under appeal. To date in 2025, one nursing home has been closed on foot of proceedings that were initiated last year, she added, stating this step was taken only as 'a last option'. Angela Fitzgerald, chief executive of Hiqa, said she was 'shocked and appalled and felt let down' when she saw the alleged abuse in the RTÉ programme. 'I felt deeply saddened that staff hadn't got the skills, experience and insight to see what they should do. I feel a sense of accountability,' she said. Asked if the homes at the centre of the programme would be closed, Finnbar Colfer, Hiqa's chief inspector designate, said a final decision in relation to 'any of the recent events' had not yet been made. He said the organisation was 'looking at information available' and was engaged with RTÉ to obtain its footage while this process was ongoing. Ms Fitzgerald acknowledged the recent issues had resulted in a 'dent in the armour' of the organisation in terms of public trust. One of the issues Hiqa highlighted was the potential to increase out-of-hours inspection. Last year, just under a quarter of inspections were conducted out of hours.
Irish Examiner
17-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Nursing Homes: Hiqa tells PAC it may step up its out-of-hours inspections
The country's nursing home watchdog is to consider upping the number of out-of-hours inspections it carries out across the sector, the Dáil's public accounts committee has heard. Finbarr Colfer, chief inspector designate at the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), said 24% of nursing home inspections were carried out outside normal working hours. 'It is one of the questions we are examining ourselves in relation to perhaps a more scheduled approach to 24/7 types of inspections,' he said. 'We're very conscious that the health services are operating on a 24/7 basis.' Mr Colfer made the comments amid questioning from Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly at PAC session on Thursday. Hiqa's appearance at the committee follows shocking revelations in an RTÉ Investigates documentary last month. The programme was focused on two nursing homes run by Emeis Ireland — The Residence in Portlaoise and Beneavin Manor in north Dublin. It details a litany of disturbing practices, including: A man being refused a toilet break for 25 minutes due to chronic understaffing; A resident repeatedly left in an unchanged incontinence pad despite being able to use the toilet and having requests to do so denied; 'Fake' activity logs showing residents engaged in pursuits that never occurred. Hiqa chief executive Angela Fitzgerald apologised to those affected by the practices at the nursing homes, adding the body is taking 'regulatory action' with the company operates the two sites. 'I was shocked and appalled and felt let down by the provider in terms of what I witnessed,' she said. Asked by Fine Gael TD James Geoghegan if she had ever seen anything worse than practices shown in the documentary, Ms Fitzgerald said she had not. However, Ms Fitzgerald said that, during inspections at the two nursing homes, Hiqa inspectors did not see any practices as shown on the RTÉ documentary. 'Failure of management and supervision' In total, it was confirmed 22 of the 25 Emeis Ireland-run nursing homes were inspected since the RTÉ documentary aired in June. Deputy chief inspector Susan Cliffe said the practices stemmed from 'a failure of management and supervision' at the Beneavin Manor nursing home. 'I think it was a failure to allow for the stress that was on the centre, the failure to recognise it,' Ms Cliffe said. 'There's three floors in that centre and there's three very different cultures on three different floors. The residents with the greatest level of need and the higher dependency were all accommodated on the one floor.' Asked by Mr Geoghegan if there had been any resignations, Ms Cliffe said a number of staff were no longer employed at Beneavin Manor. However, she added she was unaware of any resignations of more senior staff and managers at the nursing home. During the committee appearance, Ms Fitzgerald told TDs Hiqa is currently engaging with the Department of Health around strengthening existing regulations surrounding nursing homes. The committee also heard there has been one nursing home closure so far this year, with seven homes being closed in 2024. This is the highest figure in a number of years, with the closest being three closures in 2021 and 2023.
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, July 7th: On a disturbing silence, tests for medics and discerning dogs
Sir, – The recent RTÉ Investigates programme exposing failings in nursing home care was harrowing. Yet, perhaps even more disturbing was the silence that followed. Footage of vulnerable older adults crying out for help, ignored and neglected did not provoke widespread outrage. The two nursing homes in question remain open. This reflects a society that has normalised the neglect of vulnerable older adults. This is ageism. While the programme appropriately raised questions for Hiqa and the Government regarding standards, oversight and accountability, a deeper issue – the acceptance and tolerance of ageism – was largely ignored. READ MORE Ageism is not simply a cultural bias. It is a powerful driver of inaction and inequality. The recent Prime Time programme and the Ombudsman's Wasted Lives report rightly focused on the 1,200 adults under 65 living in nursing homes. This forces us to ask: at what age does loss of your autonomy and human rights become acceptable? For the 30,000 older adults in nursing homes, where is the public discourse over their lack of choice – about where to live, what to eat, or whom to welcome at the door? Let us be clear: for most, nursing homes are places of safety, compassion and appropriate care. But for many, entering a nursing home is not a real choice. It is the predictable outcome from a shortfall in rehabilitation services, community supports too rigid to meet individual needs, and a lack of accessible housing. Ireland has a legacy of institutionalising those whom society finds problematic to support. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. Poor standards in the care of older people are not unfortunate exceptions. They are the result of systemic, age-based discrimination. We must name this for what it is – and we must end it. Older adults are entitled to the same dignity, autonomy and human rights as anyone else. At every stage of life, people have the right to make choices, to be heard and to live and thrive. – Yours, etc, DR EMER AHERN, President, Irish Gerontological Society, DEIDRE LANG, Vice-President, Irish Gerontological Society, BIBIANA SAVIN, Irish Gerontological Society, CEO SAGE Advocacy, Cork (And seven others). Pass the parcel, wherever it is Sir, – Ciarán Hancock's interview with David McRedmond, the chief executive of An Post (' An Post has been brilliant. I've never been remunerated less and enjoyed a job more,' July 4th) reveals a shift in core business from letters to parcels, with the State-owned postal service having 'delivered just over a million parcels a week last year, with growth of 20 per cent in this space already this year'. Perhaps I am one in a million, but as I await an explanation from An Post, a parcel I posted by registered mail on May 19th this year has not yet reached its destination in Sweden. – Yours, etc, KEVIN McLOUGHLIN, Co Mayo. Sir, – The interview with David McRedmond was highly informative and interesting about how a legacy postal service has thrived. Key takeaways are that parcel volumes are up and letter volumes are down, and that the company has diversified into basic facilitation of cash services. This latter is an extremely useful service. Despite this increase in parcels, he wants to tweak the Universal Service Obligation. But, if delivery frequency is reduced, particularly in rural areas, will rival couriers poach its parcels business? – Yours, etc, PASCAL Ó DEASMHUMHNAIGH, Co Wexford. A discerning dog's life Sir, – Colm Keena's heartwarming account of the two labradors (An Irishman's Diary, July 4th) reminded me of our childhood pet, a miniature Scots collie called Prince. Sometimes, when the doorbell rang he never moved from his rough tufted mat in the kitchen. Other times, when the doorbell rang, he would bolt up the hallway to the door, at lightening speed, and bark frantically at the closed door. This only occurred when the caller was the local parish priest or a sister from the local convent. We posited that the dog's reaction was, no more than Colm's labrador, something to do with his breeding! – Yours, etc, CORMAC MEEHAN, Bundoran, Co Donegal. Liquid lunches Sir, – As a primary school principal enjoying the first week of my extensive summer holidays, last Thursday's (July 3rd) Opinion pages made for grim reading. Firstly, those said holidays came in for scrutiny in your editorial and then Finn McRedmond compounded the issue by lumping me in with the 'buttoned up, reliable, literal-minded types' rather than the class of rogues and ne'r-do-wells to which I aspire. I can assure Ms McRedmond and your editorial team that I intend to spend the summer wasting my time writing, being a hopeless romantic and for at least some of it living the life of a bourgeois bohemian among the louche Mediterraneans! Unfortunately, she somewhat proves her point by forcing me to correct the spelling error in the print edition, but a principal has his principles! – Yours, etc, JOHN KELLY, Bennekerry, Co Carlow. No planning for planning Sir, – The recent revelation that the population of the Republic has increased by over 30 per cent in the past 25 years will probably come as a shock to the body politic given the complete lack of housing, infrastructure and integration planning that we have seen in that period. From badly underestimating the number of people that would head to a buoyant economy in 2004 when we signed up for EU free movement with no serious analysis to recently not realising that post Covid would see a major surge of people here (quite apart from Ukrainians suffering invasion), nearly all seem oblivious to the downside of unrestricted immigration. Basically, services and wages end up under pressure as does housing supply, all of which feeds into a far right narrative that is gaining ground. We still await an updated integration strategy and waiting we will be it seems. – Yours, etc, MICHAEL FLYNN, Sutton, Dublin. Hpat and levelling the playing field Sir, – Seven years ago, The Irish Times published an article (' Why most Irish doctors in future will be white, female and middle-class, ' April 10th, 2018) describing how a particularly privileged section of Irish society looked set to dominate the medical profession, despite attempts over previous years to diversify entry to medicine. The most notable of such initiatives was the introduction in 2009 of the Australian Council for Educational Research's Health Professions Admission Test, or Hpat, which purported to 'level the playing field' faced by applicants for medical school places (and to produce 'better doctors' in the process). The Hpat was intended 'to assess skills deemed important for medicine, such as reasoning, problem-solving and interpersonal skills,' and 'while the 2½-hour test was initially envisaged as one which candidates could not study for, there (was) now an extensive private tuition industry where students can spend up to ¤800 over 15 weeks to prepare for the assessment'. It was of course utterly predictable (and predicted) that those who could afford such extra tuition would do so and, as your editorial (July 3rd) points out, affluence still has a distinct influence on access to a career in medicine. As a former clinician and director of postgraduate medical education in the UK and Ireland, I remain a non-believer when it comes to claims that the Hpat is a defensible source of added stress and expense in the Leaving Certificate year, or that it has produced more competent, compassionate or committed doctors than previous entrance assessments. In fact, one of the greatest sources of professional satisfaction during my clinical career was helping Irish medical graduates who'd been obliged to study abroad (eg in Prague or Plymouth, because they couldn'afford to 'get' the Hpat), to navigate their entry into the Irish health system, where they've so often become some of the best doctors it's been my privilege to know. I firmly believe that the Hpat is a non-evidence-based, politically inspired but profitable test, which has failed to create a demographic profile within the medical profession that reflects that of the population at large. If I could, I would prescribe a simpler and fairer combination of criteria for entrance to our medical schools: a reasonable number of Leaving Certificate points and a commitment to work for the first two years after graduation in the Irish health system. – Yours, etc, DR CHRIS LUKE, Cork. Sir, – I have been tutoring Hpat students in the Institute of Education since 2011 (I am a GP running a vasectomy business in Cork). I feel the discussion around the exam in recent days has missed the point. The existence of grinds and preparation courses is a natural consequence of any new test or application process, especially for something as competitive as medicine. The purpose of the Hpat initially was to reduce the importance of students scoring maximum points – something most achieved by attending grinds, and expensive study courses relating to traditional Leaving Certificate courses. The key difference with the Hpat and these other subjects is that the degree to which a student can improve their Hpat score is much more limited and is dependent on each student's intrinsic ability to solve complex problems. A student can significantly improve their performance in subjects such as accounting, history, physics, etc, through relentless practice and tutoring, this is not the case with the Hpat. Students tend to reach their own ceiling quickly with some tutoring/guidance, hence a short course over a day or two is often the most preparation students need for the Hpat. While it is not perfect, I do feel the Hpat has merit. The key benefit I see is that it actually reduces the impact and importance of grinds and expensive schools, hence giving students from a broader spectrum of society a better shot at getting into medicine. It has been repeatedly quoted in articles that '33 per cent of medicine students are from wealthy backgrounds, compared with 18 per cent of students overall'. However, this is a meaningless statistic in the absence of the same data prior to the introduction of the Hpat. This may well be an improvement. I would agree that more needs to be done to improve access to medicine for less advantaged students. However, I believe reducing the importance of the Hpat is a regressive step. Students who can afford preparation courses will still attend them, the key thing to remember is that the grinds and expensive courses are of much less benefit to them than a similar course for a standard Leaving Cert subject, and in turn this does level the playing field somewhat. – Yours, etc, DR COLIN IRWIN. Kinsale, Cork. State schools and admissions Sir, – I welcome the introduction of the single application pilot scheme later this year, particularly its recognition that State secondary schools should prioritise children living in their local area. However, our local secondary school currently gives no priority to local students. Instead, it operates a lottery system open to applicants from across the county – and even beyond. This approach ignores the needs of the community it is meant to serve. Since 2019, all newly established State schools have been required to meet local demographic demand and prioritise children from the surrounding area. It is unacceptable that this obligation does not apply to all existing State schools. The principle of serving the local community must be applied consistently across the country. It's time for the State to act decisively and ensure that every State school – not just new ones – is required to put local children first. – Yours, etc, SARAH LONERGAN, Dublin 9. An inspiring story Sir, – What an inspiring story in Weekend (' Me, Myself and Ireland: For four weeks, I was sleeping in St Stephen's Green, surviving on €1 a day .') Allen Bobinac is such an asset to Ireland, and so thoughtful when he refers to the three stages of 'empire' – the first generation builds, the second enjoys fruits of this, but also recognises the work that went into it. The third generation enjoys all the structures, but doesn't see the work. Is this when a sense of entitlement creeps in? And are many of us beginning to suffer from this? – Yours, etc, GILL McCARTHY, Shillelagh, Co Wicklow. Attacking seagulls Sir, – My family are being attacked by seagulls who are nesting and have chicks. The nest is on a flat roof of the house backing on to ours. For some reason the species is protected by European and national legislation. Seagulls are vermin and are dangerous to humans as they attack especially when with young, and also if people are eating out of doors. Their droppings are germ laden. Why in the interest of public safety is there a prohibition on culls? – Yours, etc, DES BOYLE, Dublin 5. Overrun by tourism Sir, – Shilpa Ganatra and Conor Pope point to 'overtourism ruining popular destinations' and advise to swap Santorini for Milos ('Even better than the real thing,' July 5th) . Milos, unfortunately, is currently experiencing precisely this level of overtourism. The mayor of Milos recently said: 'Soon our island will be covered in concrete, and we won't be able to handle basic services like water, waste, or traffic. We'll be left with nothing but cement.' – Yours, etc, RICHARD PINE, Corfu, Greece. Holding back bus transport Sir, – As someone who chooses to commute by Dublin Bus for environmental reasons, I find it increasingly frustrating that buses are often held at timing points – even when traffic is light – just to stay 'on schedule'. This is particularly noticeable during the summer months, when road conditions improve and buses could reach the city much faster. While I understand the need for consistent service, this practice penalises those already on board and undermines the appeal of public transport. At a time when many employers are encouraging staff back to the office, we should be making sustainable commuting more efficient – not less. – Yours, etc, GILLIAN LAWLESS, Co Wicklow.
