The State’s health standards watchdog has said that it did not recommend the closure of Roscommon hospital, but did express “serious concerns” about the quality and safety for patients at the facility.
In a statement explaining the background to its role in the wake of controversy over the closure of the hospital's emergency department, the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) said further delay over dealing with issues at small hospitals was “not acceptable and could put patients’ lives and safety at risk”.
The authority said its two statutory investigation reports into Ennis and Mallow hospitals identified serious concerns for patient safety at these and similar-sized hospitals such as Roscommon.
While it has not recommended the closure of any hospital, the authority has issued a series of recommendations aimed at improving patient safety across the system that should be implemented in full.
“It is the responsibility and duty of board of the HSE to oversee the implementation of the recommendations from the Ennis/Mallow reports and the Health Information and Quality Authority as its regulator will continue to hold the HSE to account in doing so,” Hiqa said in a statement.
“It is the authority’s view that change for safety is long overdue in many aspects of our health system. The authority recognises and understands the difficulties in bringing about these changes.
“However, further procrastination and delay is not acceptable and can put patients’ lives and safety at risk.”
The authority said it will continue to highlight patient safety concerns as they arise and evaluate and monitor the HSE’s implementation of its recommendations and future compliance with national standards.
Hiqa said its 2009 investigation report into Ennis followed serious concerns raised by family members following the deaths of two patients.
It recommended that the HSE review services in hospitals with a similar profile to Ennis.
The HSE later identified the following hospitals in its review: Roscommon, Our Lady’s hospital Navan, Co Meath; Ennis, Co Clare; Nenagh, Co Tipperary; St John’s Hospital, Limerick, Mallow General Hospital, Co Cork; Bantry General Hospital, Co Cork; Louth County Hospital; Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise; St Columcille's in Loughlinstown.
Hiqa’s statement says that towards the end of June 2011, the HSE confirmed to the authority that it had serious concerns regarding services provided at Roscommon Hospital that reflected the risks to patients in small hospitals that had previously been identified in the Ennis and Mallow. These risks were compounded by the shortage of non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs).
The HSE also informed the authority that it had made the decision to change the services in Roscommon in order to address the patient safety issues.
“These changes are consistent with the recommendations of the Ennis and Mallow reports and the Authority supports the new model of services that is being implemented by the HSE in Roscommon,” Hiqa said in its statement.
