Hospitals are often in the news these days and last week’s HIQA report on cleanliness hit Waterford Regional Hospital very hard.
This effects not just patients but also the morale of staff, who are often not responsible for the defaults cited in such reports.
HIQA have compiled many strong reports this year, which is fair because it is their job, but we also must look at consequences of such reports.
Old people’s homes, care centres and crèches have all come under scrutiny; with high profile TV documentaries have been made about such facilities.
It is all very well conducting reports but in the middle of a recession with a near bankrupt state, we must ask where are the resources to right the wrongs that are pointed out in these reports?
It is all very well for a report to point out problems in wards of hospitals or old people’s homes but if the money is not there to service the clients as well as expected, such strong reports only point out the inadequacy of the system.
