HIQA publishes report on Carndonagh Community Hospital following inspection

Carndonagh Community Hospital is a designated centre registered to provide health and social care to 46 male and female residents primarily over the age of 65 who live in the Inishowen area.

An unannounced inspection took place on August 23 this year by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to assess compliance with Health Act regulations.

The report has now been published on the HIQA website.

The inspectors noted that, overall, the residents' feedback about the care and service provided to them was ‘highly positive’.

"Some families told the inspector how much they valued the service provided by the staff in Carndonagh Community Hospital and the support provided to the families. Some of the residents' comments were that ‘this is a nice place to live, and the staff are excellent’, ‘the food is nice here’, ‘staff worked hard and were very kind’, ‘I like the activities, and there is always something to do in here’.”

The report noted how staff attended to the care needs of residents with a ‘respectful and empathetic approach and were found to be interacting with residents in a friendly manner’.

The inspector noted that bedrooms in the Elm and Oak units were ‘nicely decorated and had a pleasant ambience, which supported the privacy and dignity of residents.’

"However, the bedrooms and shared bathrooms in the Ard Aoibhinn unit were dull and needed refurbishment. For example, the inspector observed that wallpaper was coming off the bathroom walls and tiles were broken in some bathrooms.”

The report noted how visitors complimented the quality of care provided to their relatives by staff and described the staff as ‘approachable, attentive, and respectful.’

The seven regulations in which the centre was compliant were staffing, training and staff development, notification of incidents, end of life, health care, managing behaviour that is challenging, protection and residents’ rights.

They were substantially compliant in ‘individual assessment and care plan’ and non-compliant in governance and management, premises and fire precautions regulations.

The report stated that the provider had carried out a fire safety risk assessment in the centre following the previous inspection and had identified 44 amber-rated risks, which were required to be addressed within six to 12 months.

The report states: "Due to the totality of the risks and considering the safety of residents in the centre, the Chief Inspector had imposed a restrictive condition on the provider's registration certificate, requiring the provider to complete the fire safety works in the centre by July 2023 and refurbish the dementia-specific unit by August 2023.

"However, at the time of this inspection, the provider had only recently commenced these works. As a result, the residents accommodated in Ard Aoibhinn unit continued to live in unsafe and poorly maintained premises. Furthermore, the provider was in breach of their conditions of registration as these works should have been completed by 31 July 2023.”

Under Governance and management, the report stated the provider's management and oversight arrangements had ‘failed to ensure that the required resources and staff were made available to complete the required fire safety and refurbishment works to bring the centre into compliance with Regulation’.

In response to the non-compliances the HSE outlined a number of actions they have planned to address them.

These included regular fortnightly meetings with the HSE Estates Team and appointed contractor, to ‘ensure all works are on schedule and in order to be completed within the time-frames submitted to the Authority’.

" Any issues that arise with the works or time-frames will be notified to the Authority at the earliest identified time.”

Additionally, a schedule of works commenced in August 2023 to address and conform to the matters set out in Schedule 6 of the Regulations.

"This schedule of works includes the replacement of all flooring, repainting of the unit and upgrading of the remaining seven bathrooms.

"A review with the Infection Control Team advised removal of the staff hand washing sinks in the bedrooms. Two new sinks have been installed in the corridors, for staff hand hygiene and the sinks in all the remaining resident en-suite bathrooms have been upgraded. All residents’ bedrooms have access to a window, which conforms to Schedule 6 of the Regulations. A further review will be completed of the privacy curtain rails to provide improved access to the window in the twin bedrooms. This will be completed by the 30th November 2023.”

Additionally, the HSE said that, following the last inspection, fire risk reduction measures were implemented.

They said that a further fire risk assessment was completed on January 3, 2023 with 10 of the identified remaining risks scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023.

"Resident numbers have been reduced in the Dementia Specific unit with admissions being cancelled, as advised by the Authority, until the works are completed. These works are scheduled to be completed by the January 30, 2024.”

Outlining actions taken in relation to the individual assessment and care plan regulations, the HSE said that all care plans were reviewed following the inspection with three monthly reviews being completed by the Staff Nurses with oversight by the Clinical Nurse Managers with the residents and their family representatives.

"Care plans of all residents are made available in paper format to all the support staff. Action Completed.”

You can read the full report at www.hiqa.ie