Inspection finds faults after intruders entered Buncrana Community Hospital

Management at Buncrana Community Hospital failed to take appropriate action after two incidents where intruders entered the building, an inspection by the State’s health watchdog has found.

The Health Service Executive-run facility on Maginn Avenue, which provides care to up to 30 residents, was found to be non-compliant with two Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People regulations following an unannounced inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) in August this year. 

The report from the inspection found that “some actions were required to ensure that the provider's management systems were effective in ensuring the quality and safety of the care and services provided for the residents”. 

Hiqa said appropriate control measures had not been put into place following an incident in April 2023 where an intruder had accessed the centre's reception during evening hours. There was a second similar incident in June 2023 when an intruder accessed the residents' accommodation area.

While the person in charge informed the Hiqa inspector that control measures had been identified and implemented following the second incident, which included locking the reception door after evening hours, the inspection found this had not been documented in the provider's risk register. It also found that the incident had not been recorded as discussed in the centre's management and staff meetings. The Hiqa inspector was not assured that the learning from the incident had been communicated to all staff and that improvements in security would be consistently implemented in the centre.

The inspector also found that the HSE had failed to ensure that non-compliant findings in relation to the fire safety issues that had been identified in the previous inspection had been addressed in a timely manner.

The centre had not been kept in a good state of repair internally, the inspection found, and “residents had to live in a poorly maintained environment” which “posed an injury risk to residents and staff”. 

There was visible damage to the internal ceilings in a number of areas due to water leaking from the roof, some areas of the internal ceilings had mould growth and staff said that rainwater would often leak through the damaged ceiling. 

On the day of inspection, buckets were in place underneath the damaged ceiling to collect rainwater and wet floor signages were also kept in place to prevent accidental falls.

“It was evident that the issue of water leaking from the roof was a persistent issue in this centre,” the report found.

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The community hospital was also found to be substantially compliant with three regulations and compliant with six.

Overall, the inspection found the provider had “well-established management and staff teams in place for the management and oversight of the centre” but governance and management “required significant improvement to ensure that the service provided to the residents was safe”. 

In response to the report, the HSE said measures have been taken to deal with the issue of unauthorised persons entering the building. Risk reduction control measures include keypad access control points and CCTV cameras. The HSE said a system has been put in place 

to ensure that learning from all incidents will be a permanent agenda item at all staff meetings. 

The issues of the damaged ceiling, mould, damaged floor linings and leaking roof have been escalated to HSE Maintenance and HSE Estates with a plan put in place to repair or replace, the HSE said.