Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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163. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 300 of 9 May 2024, the findings of the HIQA inspections carried out at St. James’s Hospital, Tallaght Hospital and St. Vincent’s Hospital on 30 August 2022, 27 October 2022, 14 February 2024 and 29 March 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23135/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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St Vincent’s University Hospital was inspected on the 30th and 31st of August 2022. The findings were broadly positive, with four compliant, five substantially compliant and six partially compliant judgements made against the National Standards for Better, Safer Healthcare.

HIQA found there was a good level of compliance with national standards in the inpatient clinical areas. However, HIQA found insufficient patient flow and limited surge capacity in the ED contributed to the boarding of inpatients in the department. HIQA also found deficits in staffing levels, especially nurse staffing levels, across all clinical areas visited.

Tallaght University hospital was inspected on 27th October 2022 and on 14th February 2024. The 2022 inspection focused on the ED and made three partially compliant and one non-compliant judgements against the Standards.

The report reflected the challenges that the ED at Tallaght faced in relation to capacity and staffing. HIQA found that admitted patients on trolleys in the ED contributed to overcrowding, making it impossible for the hospital to maintain, promote and protect patients’ dignity, privacy and confidentiality in contravention of standard 1.6 of the National Standards for Better, Safer Healthcare.

An inspection of Tallaght University Hospital was also carried out on 14 February 2024. HIQA has advised that once an inspection report is drafted, it goes through factual accuracy and feedback with the service provider before it is published to the HIQA website. This process is in progress and HIQA will publish this inspection report in due course.

St James’s Hospital Emergency Department was inspected on 29 March 2023 and was found to be partially complaint in the four National Standards assessed during HIQA’s visit.

HIQA found that measures in place to support patient flow through the ED and wider hospital, were not fully effective. There were challenges with staffing, particularly with nursing grades, and there was a need for significant improvement in the uptake of mandatory training for nursing and medical staff. In addition, HIQA found that measures used to promote and respect the dignity, privacy and autonomy of patients were not fully effective.

The full detailed reports can be found at www.hiqa.ie/reports-and-publications.