Hiqa report criticises overcrowding at University Hospital Galway Emergency Department

Michael Bolton

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has published seven inspection reports on compliance with the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare, with University Hospital Galway's Emergency Department (ED) continuing to be overcrowded.

Inspections were carried out in seven public acute hospitals and rehabilitation and community inpatient health services between December 2022 and March 2023.

The hospitals that were inspected were Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny, Wexford General Hospital, University Hospital Galway, Mallow General Hospital Cork, Roscommon University Hospital and St Camillus Hospital, Limerick.

On the day of the inspection, that the ED was not functioning as effectively as it should be at UHG, with overcrowding of patients continuing to be an issue.

While hospital management had implemented a range of measures to improve the flow of patients and increase surge capacity since the opening of the new temporary ED in October 2022, there were notable deficits in the hospital’s approved and actual rostered complement of medical and nursing for the ED.

Patients waiting on trolleys “had little to no privacy or dignity”, with the ability of staff to discuss their medical details confidentially “severely compromised,” inspectors said.

In Wexford General Hospital, the report found patients being cared for on trolleys and chairs in the open corridors of the department left without dignity and privacy.

In Kilkenny, long waiting times for patients in the ED waiting for an inpatient bed was recorded in St Luke's Hospital.

In Connolly Hospital, inspectors found that there were systems and processes in place to respond promptly, openly and effectively to complaints and concerns raised by people using the service.

Mallow General Hospital had systems in place to monitor and evaluate the quality and safety of services provided at the hospital and information from monitoring activities was being used to improve practices.

People who spoke with inspectors at Roscommon University Hospital were positive about their experience of care received in the hospital, and were complimentary about the staff.

At St Camillus Hospital, staff recorded verbal and written complaints locally, implemented quality-improvement plans and shared learning from complaints.