Major compliance issues found at Tipperary nursing home following infection outbreaks
Major compliance issues at Nenagh Manor Nursing Home following infection outbreaks
A report released by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) this month has revealed that an unannounced inspection of Nenagh Manor Nursing Home in Yewston, Nenagh took place in February 2026 as part of a focused infection prevention and control inspection.
Nenagh Manor Nursing Home caters for 50 residents, including a dementia-specific unit accommodating 10 residents. The centre provides 24-hour nursing care for residents with low to maximum dependency needs and offers short-term and long-term care, convalescence, respite and palliative care.
The inspection involved several visits carried out by two inspectors, beginning on Monday, February 16, with the final inspection taking place on Thursday, March 5.
The inspection was initiated following a number of significant infection outbreaks at the centre since October 2025, with the most recent outbreak of norovirus affecting 27 residents. HIQA examined whether infection prevention and control measures at the centre were effective in managing and preventing the spread of infection.
While the report noted positive feedback from visitors regarding staff kindness and commitment, it also highlighted concerns around staffing pressures. The report stated that “most of the visitors said ‘staff were all doing their best but had no time to sit and chat as they were rushed off their feet’”.
Inspectors identified a number of significant concerns relating to the operation and management of the centre. During a tour of the premises, inspectors observed areas of the centre that were “not adequately clean” and found that “infections were not being effectively managed”. The report also stated that “the quality of information shared during staff handovers was insufficient to provide a clear overview of residents’ conditions and care requirements.”
Inspectors raised concerns regarding staffing arrangements, noting that improvements were required to ensure residents received care in line with their assessed needs. The report details that “inspectors observed two residents waiting for over 30 mins to be assisted to bed” and that “there were inadequate levels of health care assistants rostered on numerous occasions to meet the needs of the residents.”
Concerns were also identified regarding the governance and management of the centre, with inspectors finding that oversight arrangements required improvement to ensure risks were effectively identified, managed and addressed. The report stated that: “On the third day of the inspection of the centre, there was no signage to alert visitors that the centre was in an outbreak of infection and staff working on night duty were not aware the centre was in an outbreak. This meant that precautions may not have been in place to protect other residents from infection.”
Of the 11 regulations assessed during the inspection, only one was found to be compliant. Nine regulations were deemed non-compliant, while one was found to be substantially compliant.
All four regulations assessed under the “Capacity and capability” category were found to be non-compliant. These included regulations relating to staffing, staff training and development, governance and management, and the notification of incidents.
Under the “Quality and safety” category, the areas of premises, risk management, infection control, healthcare and residents’ rights were all deemed to be non-compliant.
A finding of “not compliant” means the provider had not met the requirements of that regulation and that improvements were required to achieve compliance.
The findings highlight significant concerns around infection prevention and control, staffing resources, governance arrangements and the overall management of the centre.
Following the inspection, the provider was required to submit a compliance plan outlining the actions being taken to address the concerns identified by HIQA.