HSE welcomes high standards of regulatory compliance in Sacred Heart Hospital Castlebar

HSE West and North West welcomed high standards of regulatory compliance in Sacred Heart Hospital Castlebar by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Mental Health Commission (MHC) on two separate inspections. 

Located on the Pontoon Road, Castlebar, the Sacred Heart Hospital Castlebar is a modern facility providing long-term residential care for older people with varying dependency needs and can accommodate 74 residents in the Ross Unit (ground floor) and Carra Unit (upper floor). St Anne’s Unit is located on the campus of the Sacred Heart Hospital and is registered to accommodate 8 residents.

Both inspections were unannounced with the HIQA Inspection taking place on April 8 2025 and the MHC inspection taking place between May 13 and 16 2025. Eleven regulations were inspected by HIQA, seven were compliant, four were substantially compliant and there were no non-compliances found. Thirty-one regulations were inspected by MHC in St Anne’s Unit with twenty-nine compliant and two non-compliant indicating a 94% compliance rate.

Overall, the HIQA inspection found residents were satisfied with care, felt safe, well cared for and enjoyed the services, with one resident stating “I feel comfortable here and staff listen to me”. Visitors also reported excellent care and good communication. 

It was noted by the MHC in St Anne’s Unit that a new leaflet titled "Eating for a Healthy Heart" had been developed and introduced in January 2025 to help residents improve cardiovascular health through diet. The Unit holds monthly resident feedback meetings, conducts regular record audits and involves a specialist pharmacist in weekly multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings to enhance medication safety.

The HIQA report found that on the day of inspection the call bell was not always promptly responded to by staff. In response to this feedback, the Unit has reallocated staff resources to ensure that service users are not waiting to have their care needs met.

Limited storage space was identified during the HIQA inspection; a review has since been completed, with infrequently used items moved off-site and clinical and non-clinical items now stored separately. The MHC inspection found significant improvement in regulatory compliance, with most previous issues addressed. Only two recurring non-compliances remained in St Anne’s Unit, both with reduced risk ratings.

Non-compliance with care plan reviews was addressed during the MHC inspection, with the MDT updating the residents’ plan. Ongoing monthly audits now ensure regular multidisciplinary review of all Individual Care Plans. In St Anne’s, all identified ligature points are now risk-assessed with an action plan in place; progress is reviewed quarterly by the Ligature Reduction group, and remaining reduction works are ongoing.

The HSE remains committed to providing safe, effective, and compassionate care and will continue to collaborate with HIQA and MHC to provide a high level of care for residents.

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