Patients at serious risk of infection in six hospitals, health watchdog audit reveals

Patients are at serious risk of infection in almost half the hospitals tested for hygiene by the State’s health watchdog, new reports reveal. Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) inspectors found that Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin, Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, Co Galway, South Tipperary Hospital and Mayo General Hospital placed patients at serious risk of hospital-acquired infection. At Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin and St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny, the risk was described as “clear and serious”. There was a moderate risk of infection in three more of the 13 hospitals inspected – Cavan General, Mercy Hospital Cork and the Mid Western Regional Maternity Hospital, Limerick – while a low risk was reported in two hospitals, Roscommon General and the Coombe Women’s Hospital. Phelim Quinn, director of regulation with Hiqa, said inspectors found hand hygiene practices were not always undertaken or done in the right way. (Irish Times) >