Deficiencies in hygiene an infection control measures have been highlighted in inspection reports on a number of hospitals published by the health safety body, HIQA.

At the Cork University Hospital Group, comprising CUH, CUMH and Mallow Hospitals, HIQA said the corporate and clinical governance arrangements in the hospital group were not structured to ensure a consistent approach to infection control and prevention across all group sites.

The safety body said there was an absence of clear monitoring and reporting of performance measures relating to the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs)

HIQA said this posed a potential risk to patients of HCAIs across the hospital group.

The CUH group, it was found, did not have a programme to cut down on the overuse of antibiotics in place. Too much prescribing of antibiotics increases drug resistance to 'super bugs'.

The report said surgical site infections were not routinely monitored throughout the hospital group and HCAI-related adverse events and risks were not being adequately identified, reported, evaluated and
managed.

HIQA said its findings on hygiene deficits indicated that that Mallow General Hospital (MGH) had not been sufficiently integrated into the CUH hospital group structure, and it was of concern to the Authority that, two years after its report on the safety of services at Mallow, this situation did not appear to have improved.

A hygiene inspection report of Sligo Regional Hospital found that hand hygiene of staff in the areas of the hospital assessed was not in line with best practice guidelines.

HIQA said a culture of hand hygiene practice was not embedded at all levels of the hospital and hand hygiene practice observed by the Authority posed a high high risk of spread of HCAIs to patients.

The inspection report at Sligo said the physical environment and patient equipment were unclean in the areas inspected and therefore were not effectively managed and maintained to minimise serious risk to patients of contracting infections.

HIQA found there was no budget allocated specifically for prevention of healthcare-associated infections at Wexford General Hospital.

It said there was little evidence to demonstrate a deep level of executive commitment to driving the hand hygiene agenda throughout Wexford General Hospital and hand hygiene was not mandatory for all staff.

An inspection of Letterkenny General Hospital found that thew three areas of the building that were assessed were unclean.

According to HIQA, the inspection indicated that the the physical environment was not effectively managed and maintained to protect patients and reduce the spread of HCAIs and his posed a significant risk to patients.

The inspection also found deficiencies in hand hygiene practice at the Co. Donegal Hospital.

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