Hygiene deficits have been discovered in an inspection  of Dublin's Coombe maternity hospital by the health safety body HIQA.

HIQA has said the Coombe must now revise and amend its quality improvement plan (QIP) to prioritise the improvements necessary to fully comply with infection, prevention and control standards.

A HIQA inspection report on the hospital found that St Gerard's gynaecology ward was generally unclean on the day of the inspection.

The report found dust in many areas, and black-coloured debris was visible on a window sill. The inspection also noted chipped paint in many places.

Inspectors observed a member of staff transporting a patient in a wheelchair, placing the wheelchair back in storage without cleaning it after use and therefore not ensuring the wheelchair was clean for the next patient.

The skirting board was loose and not adhered to the wall inside the door of a clean utility room. Floor covering was also observed to be missing under the work top area which could hinder effective cleaning.

Bathroom facilities were also found to be lacking in hygiene. A black mould-like staining was visible on the sealant between the wall and the shower tray. The shower tray and sink in the shower room was unclean.

The inspection found the storage of extra linen outside of the designated storage area was not in line with best practice, as it could increase the risk of linen contamination prior to use. In addition, light dust was visible on the door frame of the linen cupboard.

The inspection found that hand hygiene audits for St Gerard's and another ward inspected, Our Lady's, demonstrated 81% compliance in both areas.

"The hospital therefore needs to build on the compliances achieved to date, to ensure that good hand hygiene practice is improved and sustained."

In a separate inspection of the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital it was found that the hospital achieved an overall compliance of 87.1% which was below the HSE's national target of 90%.

HIQA said the hospital needed to build on the compliances achieved to date to ensure that good hand hygiene practice is improved and sustained.