Ballyshannon Community Hospital ineffective 'in safeguarding residents from abuse’

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) criticised Ballyshannon Community Hospital’s safeguarding systems for not being “effective in safeguarding residents from abuse.”

In an unannounced inspection by HIQA in February 2025, the inspector found Ballyshannon Community Hospital to be not compliant with regulations regarding Governance and Management, and Protection. 

Currently occupied by 52 residents, Ballyshannon Community Hospital welcomes residents who need long-term care with varying conditions, abilities and disabilities, including residents with dementia, cognitive impairment, residents with physical, neurological and sensory impairments, residents with mental health needs and palliative care. 

Ballyshannon Community Hospital was found to have been compliant or substantially compliant in 12 of the 14 categories inspected, however, HIQA expressed concerns in categories they deemed Ballyshannon Community Hospital to be non-compliant with. 

Overall, the inspector “observed that there was a warm and friendly atmosphere in the centre,” and that “feedback from various residents generally reflected a positive nature of feedback regarding the services provided.”

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Management systems in place, said the HIQA report, “were not sufficiently comprehensive to ensure a safe, effective and consistent service was provided to the residents at all times.”

The oversight of the provider’s safeguarding systems was “not effective in safeguarding residents from abuse,” and additionally, “the provider had not identified and implemented a safe medicine management system following a safeguarding incident that occurred in this centre before this inspection.”

Moreover, the inspector “found that the oversight of medicine administration systems that were in place did not support safe medicine administration.”

Regarding the regulation on protection, the report stated that the inspector “was not assured that the centre’s safeguarding policy and procedures were fully implemented to safeguard residents.

“Furthermore, the inspector found that safeguarding concerns raised by residents were not properly addressed, and suitable safeguarding measures were not established.”

Concerns were escalated to senior management, who “provided assurances to implement measures in accordance with their policy to ensure that all residents in the centre were adequately protected.”

In response to the report's criticism, Ballyshannon Community Hospital said it had implemented measures to ensure compliance. 

It said: “The provider and the person in charge have reviewed the centre’s safeguarding policies and procedures and have ensured that all staff are aware of their responsibilities as outlined in the policy,” and that all oversite systems that were in place “to ensure that all incidents of safeguarding are managed appropriately and within the required time frame.”

Ballyshannon Community Hospital also said: “All recommendations and issues of concern are discussed at the management team, and action plans are developed and implemented, ensuring that residents are safeguarded from abuse,” and a “review of medication management systems has taken place within the centre, which will enhance medication management practices in the centre and reduce any potential errors.”