HIQA report outlines pressures on MUH
An unannounced inspection carried out at Mayo University Hospital in June 2025 found while the facility showed strong governance, there was significant pressure on the Emergency Department.
MUH was assessed by the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) as having no instances of non-compliance, to be fully compliant in one standard, substantially compliant in four standards and partially compliant in six standards during an inspection of 11 of 45 national standards at the facility on June 17 and 18, 2025.
The inspection, which took place during a ‘red’ escalation, found that the ED was built for 25,000 attendances a year but the hospital was seeing over 41,000 new emergency presentations per year while trolley numbers regularly exceeded safe levels.
Inspectors spoke with patients waiting in the ED and there were mixed views reported on their experiences with one patient reporting to have been in the ED for 24 hours. However, another patient said they had arrived via ambulance and ‘expected chaos’ but said they were triaged promptly and were satisfied with the care they received. Another patient acknowledged the staff as being ‘under severe pressure’.
Hospital management explained that plans were underway to expand the existing ED at MUH in 2027 to help address deficits in existing space and environmental issues but would not necessarily increase bed capacity. They also reported to inspectors that funding had been approved to commence the design of a new 90-bed block.
In assessing standards associated with governance and management, inspectors found integrated corporate and clinical governance in place at MUH with defined roles and accountability and responsibilities for assuring the quality and safety of healthcare services. MUH was substantially compliant with two of these standards and partially compliant with another.
In assessing the standard associated with workforce, for which they were partially compliant, Inspectors said that the hospital was short of some key members of staff, in particular pharmacists, cardiac technicians, surveillance scientist, PALS officer and ED nursing staff. In addition, sickness absence levels were at 7% which breached the HSE target of 4% or less. They added that some of the staffing needs in nursing were yet to be funded for MUH.
MUH was found to be substantially compliant in two areas associated with person-centred care and support and compliant in the area of promoting a culture of kindness, consideration and respect. They were partially compliant in two areas associated with effective care and support and also partially compliant in two areas associated with safe care and support.
