Galway nursing home fails to comply with infection control regulations
The inspection of Caiseal Geal Teach Altranais in Castlegar also revealed that cleaning procedures issued to staff actually increased the risk of spreading illness rather than preventing it
A Galway nursing home was found not compliant with infection control regulations after HIQA inspectors discovered an unwashed laundry chute, unclean ancillary areas, and staff who were unaware of residents carrying superbugs.
The unannounced inspection of Caiseal Geal Teach Altranais in Castlegar also revealed that cleaning procedures issued to staff actually increased the risk of spreading illness and cross-contamination rather than preventing it.
The facility, which is operated by Caiseal Gael Teoranta and accommodated 41 residents on the date of inspection, was deemed “substantially compliant” in the areas of management, record-keeping, and staff training.
Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) lead inspector Sean Ryan found that, while a system existed to identify and manage residents carrying multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs), it was not routinely implemented in practice.
“Staff were not always aware of residents who required additional infection prevention and control precautions, which posed a potential risk of cross infection,” Mr Ryan noted.
Inspectors discovered that the laundry chute had not been incorporated into any routine cleaning schedule and was visibly dirty. A number of other areas were also found to be unclean, including catering staff facilities, the laundry, and the sluice room.
In addition, staff were not suitably trained in the use of cleaning and disinfection chemicals, while official procedures directed workers to carry out cleaning practices that heightened the risk of infection transmission.
The inspection also uncovered deficits in operational management, revealing that key clinical nurse manager posts had been left depleted. One clinical nurse manager post was vacant, another was not being fulfilled on a full-time basis, and a third had been on statutory leave since January 2025 without being replaced.
The reduced supervision directly undermined the provider’s capacity to identify, assess, and manage risks to residents, including recurrent fire safety hazards in cluttered storage rooms where combustible items were stored alongside electrical equipment.
HIQA also determined that the provider had failed to report one resident-related incident to the chief inspector as required by law, while records of diagnostic tests for superbugs were missing for a small number of residents.
In its formal compliance plan response, Caiseal Gael Teoranta confirmed it had taken immediate corrective action to bring the centre into line across all four non-compliant regulations.
“Management resources are fully restored to align with the Statement of Purpose,” the provider stated, confirming that the operational management team now includes a director of nursing, assistant director of nursing, and three clinical nurse managers.
It added that all ancillary rooms had been deep-cleaned, the laundry chute placed on a daily cleaning regime, storage and electrical spaces decluttered, and daily handover sheets updated to notify care staff whenever a resident is identified with a multi-drug resistant organism.