Naas Hospital among nine facilities criticised in independent review

An independent review of unplanned care at nine hospitals, including Naas General Hospital, found that sometimes there was

no clear understanding of who was providing the patients’ care.
The Independent Review of Unplanned Care, commissioned by the HSE and covering the years 2018-2019, was procured by the Irish Patients Association under the Freedom of Information Act.

Due to Emergency Department pressures, the findings said there was widespread placing of patients in random beds, including in mixed gender areas.

The report said this did not create extra capacity, but led to increased length of stay and introduced harm by non-specialist care and increased staff absenteeism.

The review has recommended an end to the practice of trolleys being placed on wards as soon as the health system becomes stabilised.

The hospitals involved in the review were: Naas General, Tallaght University Hospital, Midland Regional Tullamore, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital Dublin, Cork University Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, University Hospital Waterford, St Vincent's University Hospital and Galway University Hospital.

However the review team also said it witnessed many incidences of outstanding practice, excellent patient care.

The HSE said the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the implementation of structures and initiatives to address many of the issues and recommendations that were identified in the draft report.

The review team said the nine hospitals accepted the site visits with good grace, openness and a desire to learn.

Kildare North TD Reada Cronin said she has asked the Minister for Health to examine any issues discovered at Naas Hospital.

Responding to the review, Ms Cronin added: "Public health is about the public. It is about highly-qualified medical professionals delivering care when people need it. It is not about bloated management systems and staggering salaries when the same systemic problems follow on year after year after year. Junior doctors are having to battle for the basics of even a clean bed and a hot meal, nurses and doctors are grossly overworked, we have too few consultants, our student nurses are undervalued and neglected, so many of our best and brightest are leaving as soon as they qualify. Not only is the system they are leaving broken, they fear they won’t be able to get an apartment or a house.

"The public health system is not working. It is being paid for by the public and that public needs vastly better than what we have seen and are seeing."