Six out of 10 hospitals inspected by The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) last year were non-compliant with measures to control Covid-19 infections, the report revealed. Poor physical infrastructure, capacity issues and workforce challenges were the biggest barriers in the fight with pandemic. Even after increased investment in the healthcare system, many hospitals could not make the situation any better, Hiqa report noted. Hiqa is the state owned agency to evaluate the standards of healthcare sector in Ireland.
The Hiqa team inspected 10 hospitals around the country as part of monitoring the compliance with Covid standards.
“In most instances, we found an effective approach to adapt to this unprecedented crisis in hospitals,” said Hiqa’s director of regulation, Mary Dunnion. “However, hospitals’ efforts were made more difficult due to underlying historic problems with infrastructure, limited bed capacity and unequal or limited access to specialist workforce input and advice – problems that Hiqa’s prior monitoring work against national standards has consistently highlighted.”
Mayo University Hospital, South Tipperary General Hospital, Wexford General Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital and University Hospital Kerry were non-compliant to one of five standards, the Hiqa team found. Apart from them, Naas General Hospital was non-compliant for three standards- governance arrangements to deliver safe and effective infection control; the provision of a safe and clean environment that minimises the risk of transmission of infections; and having a system in place to manage and control infection outbreaks in a timely and effective manner.
Meanwhile University Hospital Waterford, Letterkenny University Hospital, University Hospital Limerick and Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar turned out to be fully compliant with standards to respond to the pandemic.
Hiqa conducted 66 inspections in healthcare services in 2020.