A West Clare nursing home has been criticised by the health watchdog for its fire safety precautions.
Kilrush District Hospital was visited by an inspected in April of this year and, according to a report just released by HIQA, management have taken steps to address the concerns.
During an unannounced inspection of Kilrush District Hospital on April 30th of this year, it was found that overall, staff and management there were very compliant in a number of areas.
This includes in training and staff development, residents rights and healthcare.
However, some issues of non compliance were identified with regards to fire precautions.
Concern was raised about the ability of staff to safely evacuate residents in a timely manner in the event of fire.
The inspector also noted that there were inadequate fire drill records available, they did not include the time, location or outcome.
Additionally, the escape route plans displayed did not accurately reflect the layout of the building, while there were no records available to support routine checks on fire alarm, fire doors, door fastenings and hold open devices.
To address the issues, fire safety training was conducted for all current and voluntary staff while a rehearsal fire evacuation took place last month.
Fire drills will also be carried out per regulations with both day and night staff, while escape routes have been revised and displayed appropriately.
Management have also held a discussion with the region’s fire officer to address any lingering concerns.
