A hygiene inspection at Dublin's Beaumont Hospital has unearthed a 'number of failings' which HIQA believes pose a 'serious risk' to the health of patients.
The unannounced inspection at the hospital was undertaken in July - and uncovered that a number of medical staff only washed their hands "half the time".
The hospital has now been ordered to respond to the report - and draw up a plan to improve its stanards.
The unannounced inspection at Dublin's Beaumont Hospital took place on the 23rd of July.
HIQA's report says hand-washing is the single most important measure to stop the spread of infections and that staff at Beaumont fell well short of the mark - putting patients at risk.
Inspectors observed 60 opportunities for medical staff to wash their hands - less than half of which were taken.
They also found that some medical staff wore the same apron across a number of rounds; hazardous materials and syringes were kept in unlocked rooms and some soiled and infected linen was kept in a 'dirty' utility room.
HIQA has ordered that Beaumont Hospital now draw-up a response and Quality Improvement Plan within the next six weeks.
