There has been a significant rise in the number of hospitals which require re-inspection for poor hygiene and maintenance issues, according to a report by the Health Information and Quality Authority.
HIQA has found that one in five hospitals that were inspected in 2015, required follow-up inspections for low standards of hygiene and maintenance. As a result, patients have been left exposed to risk of infection.
According to the report, the number of hospitals requiring re-inspections in 2015, represents an increase when compared with the statistic in 2014, which was one in ten hospitals.
The Head of Healthcare with HIQA, Susan Cliffe, says an acceptable standard of basic cleanliness is essential.
''Our overview report shows that there is significant scope for improvement in the cleaning and maintenance of hospitals. We found this year that we re-inspected seven out of the 32 hospitals indicating an increase on last year's level.'