RQIA lacks public confidence over Dunmurry Manor case: Poots

The former health minister Edwin Poots said the regulatory body responsible for ensuring standards of care – the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) – does not “have public confidence at this moment in time.”

The RQIA had said on Thursday, in response to the commissioner’s investigation into Dunmurry Manor, that there was “no evidence of institutional abuse” at the home.

Dunmurry Manor, on the outskirts of Belfast, opened in 2014 and specialises in dementia, and had been subject to a 16-month investigation by the Commissioner for Older People in Northern Ireland, Eddie Lynch.

Mr Lynch, in his report, said the investigation had uncovered a “horrific catalogue of inhuman and degrading treatment”, including evidence of “physical and sexual assaults”.

He had also been critical of the failure of the RQIA to uncover the to uncover “the extent of the problems” despite carrying out “23 inspections in a 39-month period”.

The RQIA, however, hit back on Thursday, stating that it “did find instances where the quality of care was not to the expected standard and worked with the management of the home to support improvement and follow-up inspections found that care did get better for a period.”

An RQIA spokesperson also said it did “not agree with some of the Commissioner’s findings”, and would be “submitting a full response” in due course.

Julieann McNally, whose late grandmother Annie McCourt was a resident at Dunmurry Manor in 2016, expressed concern that unless the RQIA can “hold their hands up” and admit to its failings, the problems uncovered by the investigation could happen again.

“What about putting their hands up and saying ‘we recognise where we went wrong?’” she asked.

“And saying ‘we will work hard to ensure that we put policies and procedures in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again?’

“Otherwise we are going to be here again in a couple of years.”

She continued: “They (the RQIA) have the opportunity to use the commissioner’s report to make these changes, but all it is now is a public slanging match.”

Relatives of other residents at Dunmurry Manor, speaking to BBC Radio Ulster today morning, had also criticised the RQIA’s response to the commissioner’s findings.

The former Health Minister Edwin Poots meanwhile said: “In my view the board (of the RQIA) have a major responsibility in ensuring that these inspections are carried out correctly, and that staff are doing their jobs correctly. I’m not sure that’s the case.”

He added: “I don’t believe that they have public confidence at this moment in time.”

The RQIA, when asked to respond to the concerns of relatives and Mr Poots, referred to their earlier statement.