LONG-STANDING ISSUES, INCLUDING poor infrastructure, capacity issues and workforce challenges, hindered the Irish hospital system’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, a new report from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has found.

The ‘Healthcare Overview Report 2020′ found that Ireland’s hospitals “adapted swiftly” to the problems posed by the coronavirus last year but “reoccurring underlying issues” relating to non-compliance with national standards were evident.

Hiqa said the pandemic “further exposed many of the long-standing and well-recognised issues within our healthcare system”.

The main challenges, which have been highlighted over the past number of years, include:

• Capacity deficits,
• Long waiting lists,
• Overcrowding in hospitals,
• Poor infrastructure and physical environment,
• Over-reliance on a hospital-centric model of care.

The health watchdog was required to alter its inspection plans last year, in order to focus on the challenges posed by Covid-19.

“In most instances, we found an effective approach to adapt to this unprecedented crisis in hospitals,” Mary Dunnion, HIQA Director of Regulation, said.

“However, hospitals’ efforts were made more difficult due to underlying historic problems with infrastructure, limited bed capacity and unequal or limited access to specialist workforce input and advice – problems that HIQA’s prior monitoring work against national standards has consistently highlighted,” Dunnion added.

Hiqa carried out 66 inspections in healthcare services in 2020. A total of 14 were in acute hospitals, 25 were rehabilitation and community inpatient services, 27 were in healthcare or dental services for the purposes of regulation of medical exposures to ionising radiation.

The watchdog said it is supportive of the Sláintecare reform plans. It said the need to implement these plans will be even more important for patients as Ireland emerges from the pandemic.

Earlier today, the HSE’s Director of Acute Operations Record said attendances at hospital emergency departments are putting pressure on staff and resources.

Liam Woods told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that rising Covid-19 cases in Galway and Mayo are matched with high emergency department attendances, which is also being seen in Cork and Kerry.

Woods said the pressure in emergency services is already impacting on planned care and elective care.

He added that there are 77,000 patients waiting for an in-patient or day case procedure, compared to 60,000 before the pandemic.

Woods said that a lack of access to GPs may be a contributory factor in increased emergency department attendances.