Nenagh Hospital, in Co Tipperary
Eilish O'Regan

Three of Ireland's major hospitals reported to have serious infection risks

Inspectors say patients are at serious risk of infection or scalding, while some medical equipment was dirty and staff failed to wash their hands

By Healthcare Facilities Today


Inspectors who visited the Mater, Tallaght and St Vincent's hospitals have found failures by staff to follow basic infection-control rules, according to an article on the Independent website.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) report follows a previous unfavorable inspections of other major hospitals.

The report, following inspections in August, again found that doctors were not washing their hands between treating patients, while staff followed key infection-control protection on just nine of the 17 times they were observed, the article said. The inspectors discovered a "black substance" in some shower areas, unclean hand sinks and "unlabelled syringes" containing unknown solutions that posed a risk of injury.

The article quoted the report warning: "Observations suggest that a culture of hand-hygiene practice is not embedded at all levels, especially among staff practices observed by the authority on St Joseph's ward."

Read the article.

 

 

 



October 24, 2013


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

The Future of Healthcare Facility Construction Projects

Brian Cowperthwaite highlights the invisible work that impacts everyone who walks through a healthcare facility.


Ground Broken on Jupiter Medical Center's Second Hospital

The 53,000-square-foot hospital will include 29 inpatient beds, four operating rooms, 24-hour emergency services, a diagnostic laboratory and imaging services.


Singing River Health System Ensnared by Data Breach

Through an investigation, on February 10, 2026, SRHS learned that the unauthorized party had accessed certain SRHS files that contained patient information.


Partnering on Personnel: Strategies for Success

Environmental services in healthcare have special staffing circumstances. They must meet stringent compliance standards and maintain accreditations.


Kaiser Permanente Opens First Two Medical Offices in Northern Nevada

These are part of its joint venture with Renown Health.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.