The Government has been urged to set up an inspectorate of State-run nursing homes for older people, independent of the Department of Health.
Making the call yesterday, Fine Gael's spokesman on older people, Mr Michael Ring, said private nursing homes were subject to inspection and that Staterun homes should also be subject to rigid standards.
"It is disgraceful that the State sector is exempt from the regulations which govern the private sector and the only acceptable option left to the Minister now is to establish an independent inspectorate for all nursing homes," he said. "We have costly visiting committees to guarantee the comfort of prisoners and yet there is no inspection to guarantee conditions for the elderly," Mr Ring added
New national standards of excellence for publicly run health institutions, coupled with an effective inspection service, need to be introduced urgently, said Labour's spokeswoman on health, Ms Liz McManus. The calls came in the wake of the Southern Health Board report into standards at Killarney Community Hospital.
"The report into conditions at Killarney Community Hospital gives rise to a number of concerns, which the Southern Health Board appears to be taking steps to tackle," Ms McManus said. However, the report highlighted serious failings at national level "which the Minister must immediately rectify", she claimed.
"For instance, it is clear that we need a national standard of excellence for publicly run nursing homes. This initiative would benefit both staff and patients in the sector. In addition, it is imperative that an inspection system for publicly run homes is established."
Private nursing homes are inspected twice a year by health board officials, she said.
"The same degree of transparency should also exist in public sector institutions and it is the responsibility of the Minister for Health to show leadership in this regard. "Many institutions like Killarney Community Hospital provide an essential service across the country. To date they have been treated like the Cinderella of the health care system."