A Donegal County Councillor is demanding assurances from the HSE that all community health centres in the county are safe following the temporary closure of a ward and services at St Joseph’s Community Hospital due to fire safety violations.
A number of respite beds were suddenly closed for four weeks in August after fire risks were identified in the Stranorlar institution.
Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy services have also been moved to alternative locations.
Sinn Féin Councillor Gary Doherty said that families of patients at St Joseph’s continue to seek answers over the failed safety inspection by HIQA.
“How did a fire safety risk of this magnitude suddenly arise in what you would presume is a constantly assessed environment housing extremely vulnerable patients who would have little to no capability of actually escaping from a fire themselves?,” Cllr Doherty asked this month’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum West.
Cllr Doherty said the immediate withdrawal of respite services last month caused huge distress to families.
“A full investigation is needed to explain the circumstances around this closure,” he said.
“The HSE needs to fully acknowledge the inconvenience that was caused by this and address the justified concerns that families that have patients at St Joseph’s have about the management of what are extremely serious contraventions of fire safety regulation.”
Cllr Doherty also asked if fire safety risk assessments have been conducted on all buildings managed by HSE Estates in Donegal in light of the revelations that there was no ‘Fire Safety Risk Assessment’ in place for St Joseph’s Hospital.
He said families want to be sure that other centres managed by HSE estates do not have the same issues.
“It’s incumbent upon the HSE to take measures to assure the people of Donegal that these buildings or residential centres or community hospitals are safe and fit for purpose and that they pose no additional risk to patients,” Cllr Doherty said.
“People have reasonable concerns when they see that a centre such as St Joseph’s is being shut down immediately because the fire safety concerns are so grave. They have justified concerns about the other buildings in Donegal.”
Tony Canavan, Regional Executive Officer, HSE West and North West, confirmed that all HSE care facilities across Donegal are subject to registration with HIQA, which gives reassurance in relation to compliance with fire safety regulations.
“The assurance and confidence that we have is based on that regulation and I would suggest that people with family members in any of our long-term care facilities that also should be a point of reference for them,” Mr Canavan said.
Cllr Doherty said he was informed in August that St Joseph’s has a “long history of non-compliance with regulation 28, fire precautions.”
“I don’t think that is acceptable,” Cllr Doherty said.
Cllr Doherty was told that fire safety upgrade works are in progress within St Joseph’s and are expected to be completed by December 2024.
Maria Ferguson Head of HR, Community Healthcare, Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan Sligo, said that the HSE’s objective is to restore all services to St Joseph’s Hospital at the earliest opportunity.
“We want to apologise for the inconvenience that happened as a consequence of the disruption to some of the patients there,” Ms Ferguson said.
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