Tallaght told to address safety

Minister for Health James Reilly has said Tallaght hospital should address without delay any immediate safety issues identified in its emergency department as part of the investigation currently underway by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

Hiqa has directed the hospital to stop placing patients who are awaiting admission to a bed, on trolleys in corridors near its emergency department from next week. It said this practice could pose an unacceptable and serious risk to patients.

The instruction followed an unannounced inspection of the hospital's emergency department earlier this week which formed part of a statutory inquiry into safety in the unit which it is currently carrying out.

On foot of the inspection last Wednesday Hiqa found a number of issues which it maintained "may have the potential to pose serious risks to the health and welfare of persons receiving care there".

The investigation found there were 20 patients in corridors or in the emergency department waiting for admission to a bed. Five patients had been waiting more than 24 hours since the decision was taken by doctors that they required admission.

The inspection also found one patient with tuberculosis was placed for over 72 hours in a clinical room which was not an isolation room and which opened directly onto a corridor where other patients were being cared for.

Hiqa said this posed a potential serious risk of cross infection to patients.

The Hiqa team also found a cardiac patient who, at the time of the inspection, had not been assessed or admitted by any in-house clinical team.

Hiqa has told the hospital that after next Thursday it must cease placing patients who are due to be admitted on trolleys in corridors near the emergency department.

The Department of Health said Dr Reilly was aware of the correspondence between Hiqa and Tallaght hospital.

"The Minister will not be making any comment until the investigation by Hiqa is completed. However, he expects that any immediate safety issues identified by Hiqa will be addressed without delay by the hospital. He also expects the hospital to co-operate fully with all aspects of Hiqa's investigation."