THE HEALTH WATCHDOG has said that it continues to be concerned about the care provided to patients at Tallaght Hospital.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has said it is concerned that the Adelaide and Meath hospital is not effectively managing the risk to patients requiring acute admission.

Last week HIQA said it was to launch an investigation into the safety of services at the hospital amid concerns about the accident and emergency department.

The authority had sought assurances about hospital management and the provision of high quality, safe care.

Today, the authority published the terms of reference for its statutory inquiry into the safety and governance of the accident and emergency department at the hospital.

In a statement it said:

The Authority continues not to be assured that the Hospital is effectively managing the risks to patients requiring acute admission to the Hospital and who receive initial care in the Emergency Department and believes that this poses a serious risk to these types of patients.

Under the terms of reference the inquiry will look at the quality, safety and governance and accountability for services provided to patients in the A&E. The inquiry will look at the patient journey from initial assessment, through admission to discharge, as well as corporate and clinical governance.

The inquiry follows concerns raised by the Dublin city coroner who said that Tallaght Hospital “sounds like a very dangerous place”  for anybody, “let alone a sick patient” at the inquest into the death of 65-year-old Thomas Walsh in March of this year.

Read: HIQA should investigate standards at ALL overcrowded emergency services >