The doors of St Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis are to remain open to new admissions after the HSE and the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) today reached an agreement.
Evidence in the HSE appeal to keep the hospital open to new admissions was due to continue at Ennis District Court today.
However, after talks between the HSE and HIQA, the two sides have agreed that the HSE continue to carry out works at the hospital to improve the lived environment for the residents there.
Judge Patrick Durcan praised all parties stating that he was delighted with the very sensible approach taken.
Judge Durcan said that there was a lot at stake for the parties concerned.
Judge Durcan adjourned the case to September 22nd to allow the improvement works take place at the hospital.
In evidence yesterday, counsel for Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), Remy Farrell SC said that elderly residents at the hospital are spending a large part of their day in their beds at the hospital’s two largest units because they have nowhere else to go.
The senior HIQA inspector who carried out the two inspections that resulted in HIQA imposing the order, Mary O’Mahony told the court: “Isn’t the night very long if you go to bed at 4pm and you are in bed until 8am the next morning?”
Ms O’Mahony said that in one unit at St Joseph’s Hospital it wouldn’t be unusual if 18 of the 24 residents were in bed for tea at 4pm or 4.30pm or to have 15 out of 24 residents were by their bed for their dinner.
She said: “Their whole life revolves around their bed. One carer said to me that that residents become territorial about their space and they don’t want to leave their space because they themselves are being institutionalised”.
She added: “The old people there think ‘this is it. This is the best that can be done for me’ and don’t realise that there should be better there for them”.
Ms O’Mahony said that there is an institutionalised culture at the hospital.
In the first case of its type, Mr Farrell said that the case goes beyond the HSE not complying with building regulations and that is how the HSE incorrectly characterised this in their opening statement.
