Reaction: There have been calls for the introduction of an independent inspectorate for nursing homes "as a matter of urgency", following publication of the Leas Cross report yesterday. It was also pointed out that this was promised by the Government as far back as 2002.
Éamon Timmins, head of advocacy and communications at Age Action Ireland, said "this inspectorate must cover public and private nursing homes, day hospitals and care workers. It must have the power to take steps against those who fail to provide proper care."
Until such an independent inspectorate was up and running and there were clear regulations on minimum standards, "there can be no public confidence that there are not more homes like Leas Cross operating in Ireland. Anything less than these measures is second best and will not have a direct impact on older people," he said.
He also said there should be clear regulations stipulating "the minimum number of staff, their qualifications and training, which should be in place so we can be sure people in nursing homes are adequately protected." Regulations in the 1993 Act, under which nursing homes were run, were "not enough".
There was need for "dramatic action" by the Department (of Health)", he said, while welcoming the initiatives and working groups announced by the HSE yesterday.
The Friends of the Elderly group has also called on the Government "to immediately create" an independent inspectorate for nursing homes. Group co-ordinator Niamh Macken said they wanted "clear and explicit standards for the [ nursing home] sector" and the immediate provision of "increased funding for public care of the elderly".
The People with Disabilities (PwiD) group called for the implementation of "national standards for ongoing monitoring and inspection of services". Chief executive Michael Ringrose noted that draft national standards had been drawn up two years ago, under the chairmanship of Prof Vincent Dodd, but that "they still have not been published."
The Irish Nursing Homes Organisation (INHO) said yesterday it was "fully committed to the adoption of a uniform national code of standards for the running of all nursing homes, both private and public."
Its practice development facilitator, Caroline Connolly, said that "for over a year we have been trying unsuccessfully to be involved directly with the Department of Health in the development of such standards."
She expressed "regret" at not being so involved and said the INHO had gone ahead and prepared its own guidelines for appropriate standards of care. "We have also participated in a number of quality standard initiatives," she said.
"We look forward to the speedy establishment of the Health Information and Quality Authority on a statutory basis, and this agency will be the ultimate guarantor to the public that proper standards of care, and their implementation will apply in all nursing homes," she said.
