HIQA Highlights Staffing And Privacy Concerns At Laois Hospital

Portlaoise Hospital achieved compliance in one area of regulation.

Gaps in staffing and some issues around maintaining patient privacy at a Midlands hospital are being highlighted by the Healthcare watchdog. 

It comes after HIQA's latest inspection of the Midlands Regional Hospital in Portlaoise.

The hospital was inspected on a number of regulations in four areas last October.

Infection control, medication safety, treatment for deteriorating patients, and transitions of care.

Portlaoise Hospital has been found compliant in one standard of regulation, substantially compliant in four standard, and partially compliant in four.

Inspectors are acknowledging national workforce strategies had resulted in the loss of some posts contributing to service gaps in some areas.

Speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, some management and heads of services posts were lost and while the hospital continued to provide these services, the seniority of the team was reduced. 

While the pharmacy team were operating with a 70% staffing deficit.

Patients’ privacy and dignity in the emergency department was generally supported, however inspectors observed some patients were accommodated on chairs in a corridor within the ED, which meant they would have no access to call bells.

While those left on trolleys overnight were found to be left in a compromised situation when it came to privacy.

Against these findings, patients were complimentary about the care they received with staff being described as "ten out of ten", while HIQA observed those working at the hospital interacting with patients in a kind and respectful way.

The hospital has since committed to implementing a workforce planning strategy to fill the key posts currently occupied on an interim basis.

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