Thomas Gould
Question:504. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health the actions that were taken following disclosures by staff and families regarding care in a nursing home (details supplied) in Q1 2021. [50651/23]
View answerTuesday, 21 November 2023
Questions (504)
Written answers
I recognise how incredibly difficult it has been for the families of nursing home residents who died during the COVID-19 pandemic, which presented one of the greatest and most wide-ranging public health challenges internationally in recent history. I would like to once again extend my sympathies to all those who were bereaved as a result of COVID-19.
I understand that HIQA and the HSE were notified of a COVID-19 outbreak at the nursing home referred to in early January 2021. I am also advised that both HIQA and the HSE’s local COVID Response Team were in regular contact with the nursing home over the following weeks and the following information has been provided.
Once notified of the outbreak and in line with general practice, the HSE convened an Outbreak Management Team. In these instances, Public Health specialists and nurses would work with the COVID Response Team to support nursing homes through the provision of a range of supports including:
• Advice and support regarding the management of suspect cases and contact tracing
• Review of resident status at each outbreak control meeting
• Review of staff status at each outbreak control meeting
• Advice regarding the cohorting of residents
• Provision of and guidance regarding the use of PPE
• Advice regarding visiting, transfers, admissions, and discharges
• Provision of oxygen supplies to suspect or COVID positive residents.
In the case of this facility which is part of a chain of nursing homes, management confirmed in the first outbreak control meeting that they had access to infection prevention and control resources and nurses and were also able to manage its staffing requirements through redeployment from other nursing homes and via agency staff. For this specific centre, the COVID Response Team was in regular communication during the outbreak and through the team, Consultant Geriatrician support was provided on an ongoing basis to the GP who was providing the medical clinical service to the centre. The centre was also in receipt of funding from the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (COVID-19 TAPS) for nursing homes.
HIQA carried out an unannounced inspection on 11 February in light of the notification of a significant number of deaths at the centre and following the receipt of a number of unsolicited concerns about the centre. The inspection report for this unannounced inspection can be found on the HIQA website www.hiqa.ie/reports-and-publications/inspection-reports .
HIQA continued to engage with the nursing home and a further two inspections were conducted later that year. All three inspection reports can be found at the link provided.