Councillor seeking answers in respect of issues at Mayo hospital

A Mayo member of the HSE West Forum has tabled a number of questions about Mayo University Hospital ahead of next week's meeting of the authority.

Councillr Michael Kilcoyne's queries are as follows:

1. When did the last announced HIQUA inspection at Mayo University Hospital take place?

When did the last unannounced HIQUA inspection at Mayo University Hospital take place?

2. In relation to the announced inspection that took place on August 16 and 17, 2022, what action has been taken in relation to the following matters from the report and what actions are still outstanding?

“Inspectors were informed by management that they had a number of consultants employed in the hospital who were not on the relevant specialist division of the register of the Irish Medical Council. This equated to 9 Consultants (8.5 WTE) of whom half are on agency contracts. Senior hospital management stated that they had discussed the requirements to register on the specialist register with the consultants in question, and supports were in place to progress registration with appropriate support and oversight in place, in line with HSE guidance. Hospital management stated that up to a quarter of the consultants not currently on the register were expected to be able to be registered by the end of 2022.”

“Overall, the environment posed a significant risk to the quality of healthcare provided and to the health and welfare of patients attending the emergency department. Notwithstanding the initiatives implemented, the practice of boarding admitted patients in the emergency department contributed to overcrowding of the department. In such settings, it was impossible to maintain, promote and protect patients’ dignity, privacy and confidentiality, which impacted on the meaningful promotion of the patient’s human rights especially those accommodated on trolleys on corridors. Inspectors did not find sufficient evidence that actions taken by management sufficiently addressed deficits of service users’ dignity, privacy and autonomy on the day of inspection.”

3. How many agency staff are currently employed in Mayo University Hospital ? Please list the categories and the number in each.

4. How many incidents have occurred at Mayo University Hospital since January 1, 2023, involving patients falling out of bed, falling off trolleys or falling off chairs?

How many of these incidents have resulted in injuries to the patient?

What steps have been taken to avoid similar incidents in the future?