HIQA report critical of Limerick Hospital – The Clare Champion

The conditions experienced by patients attending the Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick are unacceptable, a new report published this Friday by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has found. The report also highlights a number of patient safety risks in the hospital group, which must be addressed as a priority.

HIQA’s report of the review of the governance arrangements as reflected in the safety, quality and standards of services at UL Hospitals found a clear willingness to change and improve services for the public, but that the absence of a statutory governance framework is hindering the development of strong governance and patient safety functions.

HIQA’s director of regulation, Phelim Quinn said, “Since the findings in 2009 of HIQA’s investigation into the quality and safety of hospital services in Ennis Hospital, there has been an extensive and positive journey of reconfiguration and reorganisation in the catchment area covered by UL Hospitals. Substantial governance and operational changes have occurred and these have the potential to improve services for patients. If such reorganisation can be supported and safely sustained, it would reflect the governance and accountability approaches previously recommended by the Authority and as advocated in the move to set up independent hospital trusts in Ireland.”

The governance review is part of HIQA’s proactive programme of work seeking assurance on the quality and safety of services against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare. It was conducted with the cooperation of staff from the six hospitals in the hospital group, and focused on risks previously identified by HIQA as part of its interaction with the hospital group.

The review highlights a number of patient safety risks in the hospital group which must be addressed as a priority. The single most significant risk identified by the HIQA review was the serious delays and risks for patients and staff due to persistent overcrowding in the Emergency Department of University Hospital Limerick in Dooradoyle, the only site within the hospital group that was providing emergency department and critical care services.