Longford nursing home flagged for governance and management and fire precautions

A report from the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA), on Our Lady's Manor Nursing Home has raised concerns about three non compliant areas being highlighted for the second time in less than a year.

The healthcare watchdog carried out an unannounced inspection on the Edgeworthstown facility in March 7, 2025 and found it was non-compliant in governance and management, fire precautions and the premises in March 2025.

Read more: ‘HSE Bright Sparks’ healthcare project from Longford recognised for innovation

Just 10-months earlier in May 2024, HIQA previously found the centre failed to meet the expected standards in those three regulatory areas and two additional regulations staffing and infection control.

However, the recently published 2025 report stated there had been some positive improvements in terms of staffing and infection control.

There were 51 residents at the centre during the inspection.

The report found the provider had completed most of the actions they committed to in their compliance plan from the last inspection, including significant improvements in fire safety precautions in the designated centre.

"However, more focus and resources were now required to ensure that all of the fire safety improvement actions were completed."

In relation to preventing fires, HIQA said 'notwithstanding the significant fire safety works completed by the provider' since the last inspection, 'adequate assurances were not available' and 'further assurances were still required regarding the viability of two emergency exits'.

"Residents require the two final exits on the lower ground and ground floors in the event they needed to evacuate the premises in an emergency."

HIQA said records submitted of a simulated fire drill referenced timely evacuation of eight residents.

However, on the day of this inspection, the inspectors found that a final fire exit on the lower ground floor from a protected staircase led to an external stairway which was steeply inclined to reach the evacuation path leading to the fire assembly point.

"In addition there was an alternative evacuation route from this area, however, this route led back into the designated centre building onto the ground corridor and out through the final exit door on this corridor to the external pathway to the fire assembly point.

"This created a risk to residents being evacuated through an area that may be unsafe as residents would be re-entering the building."

Read more: Huntington's Walk in Roscommon's Lough Key Forest on this Saturday to fundraise

In terms of governance and management the report stated 'the provider had not ensured that sufficient resources were available to complete the fire safety works in a timely manner'.