Letterkenny General Hospital.
STAFF and management at Letterkenny Hospital have hit back over a hygiene inspection report released last night, saying it was already released last year – and dealt with.
The inspection body HIQA included inspections from 2015 in its report. However this was reported elsewhere as being new decisions and results when they were already widely reported last year.
The hospital says this needs to be made clear to the public and says all the issues raised from inspections last summer have been addressed – with many issues a result of the continued work following the hospital flood.
“The overview of unannounced infection prevention and control inspections in 2015 published by HIQA on March 31, 2016, includes the report published in October 2015 into the inspections carried out in Letterkenny University Hospital in June and July 2015,” said the hospital in a statement tonight.
“At the time of its publication in October 2015, Saolta University Health Care Group- Letterkenny University Hospital welcomed the HIQA report on the monitoring programme against National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections.
“Urgent action was taken to address the deficits identified by HIQA and significant progress has been made by all staff to ensure that we provide our services safely.
“Hand hygiene observational audits are undertaken every month. Overall average compliance rate for observational audits in 2015 was 94% with 2016 so far achieving 95% compliance with the “My 5 Moments of hand hygiene”.”
A comparative analysis was also undertaken against vacuuming versus microfiber cleaning.
“The hospital now uses microfiber cleaning,” the hospital said.
“HIQA also raised issues in relation to the maintenance of the Orthopaedic Unit. These maintenance issues have been addressed by LUH.
“It is important to note that HIQA has acknowledged that the hospital has faced many challenges relating to remedial works required to address extensive damage caused by flooding.
“In its inspection of LUH, HIQA commended the effective use of “care bundles” in the delivery of patient care. These are standardised processes for the delivery of specific patient interventions that have been demonstrated to improve patient outcome and reduce the risk of infection. HIQA highlighted the effective processes and supporting documentation associated with the delivery of these interventions at LUH as an example of best practice.”