The Health Service Executive approved the controversial Leas Cross nursing home in north Dublin as suitable for providing intermediate care for elderly patients discharged from acute hospitals earlier this year, even though concerns had been raised about standards at the home by its own inspection team, it was claimed yesterday.
The owner of the home, John Aherne, claimed that in February, after tendering for new intermediate-care services for the HSE, his home was judged to meet the criteria which were required.
These criteria, he said, included "experience in the sector, capacity to deliver the service, use of proven interventions including interdisciplinary services, demonstrated ability to provide the necessary elements of the service, acceptability for users and referrers, and demonstrated management of patients flows in and out".
But health board inspectors had raised questions about hygiene and medical standards at Leas Cross as far back as 1999.
The tenders for intermediate care services were sought as part of the Minister for Health's 10-point plan to solve the A&E crisis. Informed sources said last evening that even if Leas Cross received a letter stating it was "meeting the criteria" for providing intermediate care, no patients requiring this type of care were placed there subsequently by the HSE.
In a lengthy statement yesterday Mr Aherne also announced he was closing Leas Cross on August 1st.
He said that due to the actions of the HSE, it was "no longer possible, financially or operationally" to continue to provide a nursing-home service there.
The HSE began removing patients from the home three weeks ago. It said it was concerned at "the poor standard of nursing care" and had "grave concern" for the safety of residents.
Conditions at the home had been highlighted in a Prime Time programme at the end of May.
Mr Aherne said that following the programme, Leas Cross voluntarily offered to establish whatever new staffing structures the HSE deemed necessary and offered the HSE the operational management of the home, rent-free for six months.
"The HSE at first agreed to work in partnership and prepared a three-month schedule for their staff in Leas Cross to implement new and additional structures and procedures. However, inexplicably, unilaterally, and without either consultation or any due process, the HSE effectively decided to close Leas Cross," he said.
"The HSE prevented admissions, removed their own residents and advised private residents and staff to leave. Some residents were threatened with removal of their subvention if they did not agree to move."
He questioned why, when the HSE refused to place Leas Cross residents at seven other nursing homes which didn't reach required standards, residents in those homes were not removed by the HSE; or why, when the Health & Safety Authority found problems with overcrowding and hygiene in hospitals this year, not a single one was denied admissions or had their patients removed.
The statement from Leas Cross came just days after the HSE confirmed an independent review of all deaths which occurred at the home or immediately after transfer to hospital from the home since 2001 would take place.
The HSE Northern Area said last evening the process of sourcing alternative accommodation for patients still in Leas Cross was "well advanced".