Nurses call for 'full review and audit' of all hospitals after man killed on Cork ward

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has called for a full security audit of all hospitals.

It comes following an incident at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) in the early hours of Sunday morning where a man in his 80s was killed following an alleged violent attack by a fellow patient in a general ward.

Matthew Healy, a retired farmer from Berrings, Co Cork, was killed in the incident on a general ward at the Mercy University Hospital (MUH) shortly after 5.30am yesterday.

Gardaí are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Healy’s death.

An autopsy was conducted yesterday afternoon at Cork University Hospital, however details are not being released for operational reasons.

A man aged 32 who was arrested at the scene was last night being detained at the Bridewell Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “Our thoughts and sympathies are with the families at the centre of yesterday morning’s tragic incident in Mercy University Hospital.

“We have been offering our union’s full support members in the Mercy and will continue to do so.

In light of this awful incident, the INMO is once again repeating our call for a full review and audit of security systems and protocols in Irish hospitals.

“We haven’t had a security audit of our hospitals since 2016, it is time now for the HSE to complete a full audit of what measures are in place in each hospital.”