THE HEALTH Information and Quality Authority is examining conditions at the emergency department of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda following concerns over severe overcrowding there.
Local GP Dr Ruairí Hanley, who had written to Hiqa calling for a full public investigation, along with Sinn Féin TDs Peadar Tóibín and Gerry Adams, said yesterday the hospital had the most overcrowded emergency department in the State.
He pointed out that in response to his letter, Hiqa had said if it was not sufficiently assured during the reporting process that risk was not being effectively managed, it would consider instigating a full investigation.
“If a possible case of open TB on a trolley in the emergency department for five days is not a real danger, I don’t know what is,” Dr Hanley said.
Hiqa said it had been urged to carry out a full investigation into the emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes using its statutory powers provided under section nine of the Health Act 2007, after ongoing and severe overcrowding.
However, it is instead engaging with the hospital as part of a formal reporting mechanism under section eight of the Act.
A Hiqa spokesman said this did not amount to a statutory investigation and was not an inspection, but was a formal engagement process between Hiqa, the hospital and the Health Service Executive.
The hospital’s emergency department was visited by inspectors twice last month as part of “ongoing engagement”, the authority has said.
On November 9th, 53 people were waiting on trolleys at the hospital. In September, the authority wrote to the hospital regarding the emergency department and acute admissions to the hospital.
An audit is also being carried out at the hospital into the implementation of recommendations that followed investigations into complaints made to the hospital.
From January to the end of August, 146 complaints were received by the hospital. These related primarily to conditions at the emergency department, but also to lack of urology services and access to clinical appointments.
One incident is also being examined which involved a patient who was seen at the hospital’s emergency department in August.
The patient arrived there following a self-harm attempt, was discharged and took his own life eight hours later. The hospital is reviewing the patient’s treatment.
In October, a patient with TB spent five days on a trolley at the hospital. Three other patients were subsequently offered counselling and testing.
A spokeswoman for the HSE said it was working with Hiqa on an ongoing basis in relation to effective clinical governance and ongoing risk management at the hospital.
