Calls for HSE inquiry into Longford Care Centre following 'damning' report

St Joseph’s Care Centre in Longford has been 'ran into the ground' and the HSE need to carry out a root and branch investigation following a 'damning' HIQA report.

That is the view of Councillor Peggy Nolan, who has heavily criticised the people who are responsible for the facility.
Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) officials carried out an unannounced inspection of St Joseph's Care Centre on November 14, 2024 and found eight areas non-compliant with expected standards.

The recently published HIQA report found there was a "significant decline in compliance with the regulations" at the centre during the past year.

Fine Gael Cllr Nolan has described the HIQA report as being 'absolutely heartbreaking'.

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"I have never before in my time in public life come across a damning report such as that on something that the people have taken to their hearts and supported," she said. "I am so upset, I was on the phone today to Deputy Micheál Carrigy and Senator Paraic Brady and I am requesting that they engage with the Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill and she orders a private HSE inquiry.

Cllr Nolan stressed HIQA have pointed out the shortfalls and now the HSE must step up to the plate and address them.
She said bearing in mind most of the staff are agency staff and with a 'depletion' already in the budget for 2025 it is going to leave further gaps in service provision for residents.

"It is my understanding and it has been brought to my attention by former staff members that this year's budget is already depleted.”

The Longford town-based representative said in 2017 she invited then Minister for Health Simon Harris here and showed him what they had at St Joseph's.

She stated the facility was then one the entire county was exceptionally proud of and as a State-funded premises if it was lacking something she could get it addressed.

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In 2017, then Minister for Health, Simon Harris, announced a multi-million euro 43-bed development of St Joseph’s Care Centre.

Cllr Nolan stated she “kept the pressure on” with the help of Senator Micheál Carrigy.
It was only confirmed last summer that the project was ready to proceed.

"I read through the HIQA report and I expressed my concerns, heartache that something that was respected, loved and cherished by the people of Longford has deteriorated in such a way,” she said.

"Most of the local nurses and ward staff have all retired, some of them because it was their time to go and most of them could not stand by and see the facility being ran into the ground.”

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Cllr Nolan stated since the HIQA report publication she has received many texts and phone calls.

“There are people calling to tell me why they left their job, what has been going on and to thank HIQA at last for addressing issues that they raised while they were employed.

"These are people that I know and respect, when somebody goes into St Joseph's they are not going in to be allowed to languish in a bed, and this is alluded to in the HIQA report, to be left sitting in their own urine.

"There is no engagement and their minds are not being occupied, that was never the scenario for St Joseph's."

Cllr Nolan said she would do everything possible and the bottom line is this is a facility that has been 'allowed to deteriorate'.

She believes despite what management may say the issues “have not been dealt with” and resolved.

“The residents need to be treated with care, respect and allowed their dignity.

“That has been stolen from them in the past number of months at St Joseph's.”