Hiqa finds Mayo home has too few night staff

A NURSING home in Co Mayo run by the Health Service Executive does not have enough staff on duty at night, according to a report from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

The authority, which inspects hospitals and nursing homes, also found not all staff at the McBride Community Nursing Unit in Westport had Garda clearance.

The 35-year-old, purpose-built facility failed to comply with 22 regulatory requirements when inspected in May this year.

The inspection report, just published, found only one nurse and one care assistant were on duty at the home from 9pm to 7.45am. They were required to care for up to 39 residents, many of whom were highly dependent, it said.

Inspectors found the number of staff at night “was not appropriate to the assessed needs and dependencies of the residents and the design and layout of the centre”.

The report also said confirmation of Garda vetting had not been obtained for staff at the centre.

Inspectors also raised concerns about the use of restraints at the home and said the home did not comply with the HSE’s policy on restraint. Residents’ risk assessments did not identify alternatives to the use of restraint and there was no supporting evidence to suggest restraint was used as a last resort, the report said.

There was also an insufficient number of staff trained in best practice in the use of restraints.

HSE West said it had referred the requirement for additional staff at night to senior management and was awaiting a decision.

It said risk assessments on all residents subject to restraint had been carried out since the inspection and two staff had been trained as trainers in the HSE restraint policy. It also said the centre was awaiting Garda vetting returns for two staff members.