HIQA inspection raises concern about fire safety and poor condition of buildings at Sacred Heart Hospital
Fire safety issues were flagged by HIQA after they carried out an unannounced visit earlier this year
CONCERNS about fire safety, the condition of building and oversights in administration work were all flagged at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Carlow in a report released by HIQA, the watchdog for hospitals.
Two HIQA inspectors carried out an unannounced inspection of the hospital on 16 April while the provider’s compliance plan for how it will remedy the areas that it was found deficient in were published on 11 September.
Out of the 11 categories that HIQA assessed the hospital on, Scared Heart was found to be ‘fully compliant’ in five, ‘substantially compliant’ in three and ‘not compliant’ in another three.
The facility was deemed to be not compliant when it came to governance and management, its premises and fire precautions.
Its fire precautions were condemned by the report, which stated that issues identified in a 2011 fire safety risk assessment had not been resolved. One of the escape doors was not working at the time of the inspection while some emergency exit signage pointed to rooms that were not exit routes. The centre’s evacuation strategy relied on moving residents horizontally, often in their beds but inspectors found doors that were too narrow to get the beds through, doors that could not open sufficiently, obstructions on escape routes and non-fire-rated cabinets containing electrical equipment along evacuation corridors.
Only 18 staff were trained in using some evacuation equipment, there was no clear policy about when it should be used and there was no record of routine checks of the equipment. HIQA also found weaknesses in fire detection and containment, including inadequate protection in high-risk rooms and a kitchen fire door that would not close properly.
The hospital building was not maintained to the required standard. While has reported on a leak that the hospital experienced last year that put six beds out of use, the report stated that there were long-standing roof and gutter issues which had contributed to the structure’s significant water damage and mould.
The governance and maintenance of the facility came in for sharp criticism as some actions promised after previous inspections relating to complaints, resident transfers, premises and fire safety had not been completed. The inspectors remarked that though those working at the centre had put in place oversight systems like audits, they were not effective enough to identify and resolve issues when they arose. When it came to fire safety in particular, inspectors found partially blocked external escape routes that the centre’s own audits had not identified.
The hospital was deemed to be ‘substantially compliant’ in three areas. Being ‘substantially compliant’ means that the facility mostly met the regulatory standard, but there were some shortcomings that needed correcting. Care plans and wound care were one such area and, while the inspectors found many good examples, they also found significant gaps – in one case, wound assessments that should have been carried out daily had gaps of four and five days.
The inspectors awarded the facility as being ‘fully compliant’ in five areas. In terms of staffing, they found that the person in charge had the required experience and qualifications, that residents’ records and medicines were being stored securely and safely and that residents could access their possessions and had adequate storage.
It also determined that resident’s rights, participation, activities, communication and access to finances were supported.
Overall, residences were found to be receiving care that was on the whole good and respectful, but the hospital building, fire safety arrangements and governance systems required substantial improvement.
At the end of the report Sacred Heart set out their formal compliance plan for remedying the areas that were found deficient in. They committed to fix the building by July 2027, strengthen fire safety, improve management oversight and auditing, tighten documentation procedures and provide additional staff training.
However, the report laid out how several of the deficiencies had been identified in the August 2025 inspection that Sacred Heart had committed to fixing them within a promised timeframe but not fulfilled all of them within the promised time frame.
In response to the inspections findings a spokesperson for Sacred Heart told that, 'HSE Dublin and South East notes from this report that residents spoke positively about their care, felt safe and were treated with dignity and response by our staff at the Sacred Heart Hospital, Carlow.
'A comprehensive programme of works is underway at the hospital to address the infrastructural matters identified in this inspection report and the HSE has submitted a detailed compliance plan to HIQA. The safety, wellbeing and quality of care provided to residents remains our highest priority.'
