Several issues highlighted in a HIQA inspection report should be "changeable in the near future".

That is according to one geriatrician in The Mercy and St Finbarr's Hospitals in Cork.

Dr Suzanne Timmons told Newstalk Breakfast that "Some of them would take a lot of time and planning" but that "there is quite a comprehensive action plan for change".

It comes as a report found that elderly residents went a month without a bath or shower in the Health Service Executive-run St Patrick's Community Hospital in Leitrim.

It found numerous failures, including inadequate staffing levels and shortcomings in fire management.

HIQA inspectors found the hospital was fully compliant with just six out of 18 standards tested, although substantially compliant with three others.

They found some staff did not have up-to-date training and that staffing was inadequate.

HIQA, which carried out the inspection in March, also reports that the toilets were inadequate and there were insufficient hand-washing facilities.

In most cases it said residents were offered a shower just once a fortnight.

Dr Timmons told Breakfast while this is unusual, there may be other reasons behind it.