Dungarvan elderly care centre remains non-compliant in same areas year-after-year 

The Dungarvan Community Hospital, located in Springmount, Dungarvan, has remained non-compliant year after year in the same areas, a recent HIQA report has revealed.

The recent inspection, carried out over two days in July, was an unannounced inspection monitoring the centre's compliance with the Health Act 2007, with a focus on the provider's compliance with infection prevention and control oversight, practices and processes, the report read.

One inspector arrived at the hospital on the evening of July 27 and met with management, staff and residents over a two-hour period, while two inspectors carried out a full day of inspection the following day, July 28.

Repeat failings

The report noted that while the centre provided a "homely environment" for residents, further improvements were required in respect of premises and infection prevention and control, a repeat finding from previous inspections.

For example, inspectors outlined that surfaces and finishes (including wall paintwork and flooring in older units) in some areas of the centre were worn and, as such, "did not facilitate effective cleaning".

Overall, the report read, the general environment and residents' bedrooms, communal areas, toilets and bathrooms inspected appeared visibly clean, aside from a "small number" of bedrooms in Michael's unit (an 11-bed male unit), which inspectors were told had not been cleaned in three days.

Inspectors also found that the laundry service operating inside the service had a backlog of approximately 30 bags of used laundry due to weekend service disruption.

Overall, the service was found to be a "well-managed centre with a clear commitment to providing good standards of care and support for the residents, however, while some slow progress was made in some areas, there continued to be infrastructural deficits that required action," findings that the report says are repeated from inspections in 2025 and 2024.

While speaking to residents and visitors over the course of the inspection, inspectors were told that the centre provided a good quality of life to its residents, with one resident commenting, "I am happy there is a place like this for people to come to."

Many residents praised the hospital's staff, the report read, as did the inspectors themselves, noting the quote here.

Staffing between nurses, healthcare assistants, and support staff on the days of inspection were found to be "appropriate" to meet residents' needs, however, a three-day gap in housekeeping cover on Michael's unit meant staffing levels were not maintained, which inspectors noted poses a risk to hygiene standards in the centre.

In relation to governance and management for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infection, inspectors found that there were "clear lines of accountability and responsibility" maintained in the hospital.

However, the centre was found uncompliant in relation to other governance and management regulation, a repeat finding from inspections last year, due to the previously mentioned failings in relation to hand-washing sinks and a lack of "management oversight and contingency workforce planning" to ensure continuity of housekeeping and laundry services.

Another issue noted in the report was with the system used to log when equipment has been cleaned, which had not been "consistently implemented at the time of inspection", while several items of equipment were not tagged at all after cleaning.

The centre also continued to remain non-compliant with aspects of the premises regulations, due to the lack of handwash basins in a number of bedrooms and damaged flooring in a "large number" of bedrooms, which the report said did not facilitate effective cleaning.

The report also noted that the provider "generally met" the requirements of infection prevention and control regulation, but that further action is required by the provider to be considered fully compliant.

"Overall, this was a good service which provided high-quality care to residents," the report said, "Residents told inspectors that they were happy living in the centre and that they felt safe. Notwithstanding, inadequate practices and infrastructural limitations in the areas of infection control and premises continued to have a potentially adverse impact on the quality and safety of the service."