HIQA’s CEO wrote
to the head of the HSE to outline serious concerns about the registration of
seven nursing homes, the Medical Independent (MI) can reveal. In a
letter to Mr Paul Reid on 27 June, obtained by MI through Freedom
of Information law, Mr Phelim Quinn referenced a meeting with the HSE CEO in
which it was agreed to discuss specific issues relating to older persons’
residential services. A briefing paper,
prepared by HIQA’s Chief Inspector of Social Services Ms Mary Dunnion and
attached to the letter, stated that the current situation in seven nursing
homes “cannot continue”.
“HSE representatives in each CHO [Community Healthcare
Organisation] area and HSE estates have placed excessive emphasis on the role
of the national capital plan in improving quality-of-life for residents and
achieving regulatory compliance,” according to the briefing paper. “This stated approach is contrary to
discussions with the HSE executive team.”
A statutory instrument in 2016 (SI 293) allowed
registered providers until the end of 2021 to demonstrate compliance with
certain regulations on the care and welfare of nursing home residents. However,
HIQA’s Chief Inspector (CI) did not accept that SI 293 negated the HSE’s responsibility
to achieve regulatory compliance and ensure privacy and dignity are optimised.
The CI considered “that the HSE has had adequate time to address
institutionalised practices and areas of identified repeated regulatory
non-compliance”, outlined the briefing paper.
In the interim of the capital investment plan,
significant improvement in the quality-of-life of residents could be achieved
by “robustly addressing institutionalised care practices through staff
supervision, training and performance management” and/or “reconfiguring the
internal space to optimise the wellbeing of residents”.
Improvement in quality-of-life could also be achieved by
reducing the number of residents.
“In reaching this opinion, the CI is aware of vacancy
rates of up to 10 per cent in some of these centres and further capacity to
comfortably accommodate residents in nursing homes with a history of regulatory
compliance in many of the CHO areas.”
A HIQA
spokesperson said the regulatory process regarding the status of these centres
is “ongoing”.
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