Hiqa report finds 32 nursing homes non-compliant with regulations

Kenneth Fox

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found that a total of 32 nursing homes were non-compliant with one or more regulation.

Their report inspected 48 residential centres for older people, and they were carried out between January and April 2022.

The chief inspector of social services has statutory responsibility for regulating centres for older people for compliance with the Health Act (2007) Regulations and the National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland (2016), to ensure that the people living in these services are safe and well cared for.

Hiqa said they found nine centres to be non-compliant with one regulation, seven centres non-compliant with two regulations, four centres non-compliant with three regulations and 12 centres non-compliant with four or more regulations.

On these inspections, non-compliance was identified in areas including; governance and management, residents’ rights, premises, visits, infection control, healthcare, fire precautions, medicines and pharmaceutical service.

Other areas of non-compliance included staffing, training and staff development as well complaints procedure and challenging managing behaviour.

They said where non-compliance with the regulations was identified, providers were required to submit compliance plans to demonstrate how they will make improvements and come into compliance with the regulations.

The inspectors did find evidence of good practice and compliance with the regulations and standards on a number of inspections.

A total of 16 centres were either fully compliant or substantially compliant with the national standards and regulations.

At the time of inspection, these centres were meeting residents’ needs and delivering care in line with the national standards and regulations.