Fallout from Áras Attracta revelations continue

Fallout from Áras Attracta revelations continues


Garda file sent to DPP

Áine Ryan

AS the reverberations from the highly critical HIQA (Health Investigation and Quality Authority) report into standards at Áras Attracta continue, a garda investigation into the death of a former resident will soon be sent to the DPP, The Mayo News can confirm.
HIQA carried out unannounced inspections at the Swinford facility earlier this year after the Coroner for South Mayo, John O’Dwyer expressed concerns about the circumstances leading to the death of longterm resident, Francis Loughney (72), who died at Mayo General Hospital in November 2012.
There were 97 residents with intellectual disabilities at Áras Attracta when HIQA carried out an unannounced inspection last February after it received information from a whistleblower. Its report found major non-compliance with care standards during visits on February  25 and 26 last.
Inspectors made 59 recommendations, in consultation with the HSE, and noted a ‘significant improvement’ during subsequent visits in May.
HIQA’s primary concerns related to nutritional issues and long gaps between some mealtimes. Its report found that residents, some of whom were underweight despite being prescribed high-calorie diets, were left without food for up to 15 hours at night. The investigation was instigated after a whistleblower provided key information following the death of Mr Loughney.
Inspectors also observed that ‘mealtimes were not a pleasant experience or a social occasion’ with some residents being rushed through feeding and offered spoonfuls of food  too quickly without any beverage. They were so concerned by the mealtime practises that they invited the person-in-charge to observe which she subsequently described as ‘enlightening, difficult and distressing’. HIQA also found that seclusion practises were not satisfactory, not properly risk-assessed and contrary to the centre’s own policy.
However, its inspection in May confirmed an effective management system was now in place resulting in ‘a significant improvement in the provision of quality and safe care for residents’.
Last week, The Mayo News reported that staff cutbacks in recent years at Áras Attracta had sometimes led to assaults by residents who felt they were not receiving due care and attention. Mr Noel Giblin, national secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA),  confirmed that in 2007 staff at the facility had raised similar concerns as those raised by HIQA. He said that management had ignored a recommendation at the time that there was need for 28 more staff. Mr Giblin, who worked for a period at Áras Attracta, also said budgetary constraints were prioritised over patients needs.  

Meeting with Minister Varadkar    
THE PNA has called for a meeting with the recently appointed Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar, to discuss issues relating to the controversy. This call comes as The Irish Times reported yesterday (Monday) that ‘[less] than two per cent of almost 200 residential centres for people with disabilities complied fully with regulations when checked by inspectors’.
It confirms that only ‘three of 190 centres in which inspections were carried out’ by HIQA  ‘were found to be fully compliant with all aspects of the regulations’. There was a high instance of non-compliance relating to fire safety and other health and safety concerns, it has emerged.
However, Mr John Hannigan, the chairman of the National Federation of Voluntary Bodies, which represents 63 organisations that provide support for intellectually disabled people said the incidents highlighted by the Swinford case were  ‘extremely rare in the HIQA inspections’. He said that while his organisation welcomed the inspections, he had concerns about how HIQA was ‘interpreting some of the regulations’.  Mr Hannigan noted that seven years of withdrawal of funding from the sector had inflicted a huge toll.