HSE rejects calls by nursing homes

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has rejected calls by organisations representing private nursing homes for inspections to be suspended.

The matter was first raised by the Federation of Irish Nursing Homes, which represents 80 private homes throughout the State, in a letter to the HSE.

The association's chairman, Pat Durcan, claimed there was a lack of consistency in the approach taken by inspectors.

"We want inspections suspended so that a set of rules can be drawn up and inspectors retrained. Inspection teams seem to make up their own rules.

" Rudeness and lack of professionalism have crept into the inspection process. The attitude is confrontational," he claimed.

Irish Nursing Homes Organisation (INHO) chief executive Tadhg Daly said the inspection system was "totally unfair" and deprived nursing home proprietors of any degree of natural justice whatsoever.

While fully acknowledging the necessity for an inspection system, there was no consistency in terms of what inspectors deemed acceptable or unacceptable standards. "The inspectors are not trained and there is no uniformity in their approach or the style of their reports."

A HSE spokesman said that its obligation was to nursing home patients' welfare and wellbeing, as well as addressing the concerns of the public about the nursing home sector. "We do not intend to stop inspections or publishing reports."

The spokesman said that a consultative forum had been set up to discuss issues relating to nursing homes, and proprietors were to raise their concerns in that forum.

In a statement last night, Age Action Ireland expressed concern about the demand to suspend inspections. "Age Action fully supports the thorough and robust inspection of nursing homes."