Extra hospital beds need the nod from HIQA

THE last remaining obstacle to the opening of additional beds at Dingle Community Hospital is the consent of the health authority HIQA to allow a variation in the conditions under which the hospital was originally allowed to open in October 2010.

After lengthy discussions, HSE management, union representatives and staff have reached agreement on staffing levels at the hospital, paving the way for the opening of eight additional beds in an unused 22-bed ward.

Meanwhile, the process of recruiting additional staff has begun, the required beds and furniture have been purchased and the ward is being prepared to take the additional beds.

However, a statement issued by the HSE to South Kerry Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin points out that “the additional beds cannot be occupied until they have been registered by HIQA”.

“The HSE has applied to HIQA for ‘varying of conditions’ to include these eight beds and we are currently awaiting an inspection date from HIQA to register these beds,” the HSE told Deputy Griffin.

When and if the health authority will allow a ‘varying of conditions’ is open to speculation. When the €16.4 million hospital opened in October 2010, after a delay of over a year, HIQA allowed only 46 of the hospital’s 68 beds to be brought into use. This was because the hospital didn’t fully meet new standards that had come into effect after construction was completed in late 2008 but before the hospital was subsequently inspected and registered by HIQA. At the time HIQA’s Chief Inspector of Social Services underlined the authority’s determination stating that: “under no circumstances will the authority compromise on what is required to ensure the safety of residents”.

In 2010 the HSE hoped to bring the hospital up to full capacity on a phased basis and, over five years later, the planned opening of eight beds is the first significant step in that direction.