Section 8 of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 requires the Rotunda Hospital to prepare and publish as much information as possible in an open and accessible manner on a routine basis outside of FOI, having regard to the principles of openness, transparency and accountability. The scheme commits us to making information available as part of our normal business activities.
Please find the Rotunda Hospital’s FOI Publication Scheme below. Each page contains relevant information in the category as well as links to relevant information on the Rotunda website.
If the information you require cannot be found here, you may wish to conduct a search on the Rotunda website. If the information is not currently made publicly available by the Rotunda, you may consider making a Freedom of Information Request.
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act allows for members of the public to make applications for their own personal records, the records of others and the corporate documents of the organisation.
It also allows for records to be amended and for you to have reasons for decisions explained to you.
Applying for personal records and records of the deceased:
If you want to get a copy of your own records you can send your request in writing or complete an FOI request form.
Your request must contain the following:
Accessing records of the deceased:
The Rotunda Hospital believes that all patient information has been provided to us confidentially and you may not be given access to another person’s records. Applications for the personal information of someone who is deceased are only processed under the Freedom of Information Act. Each request is considered based on the information provided.
The death certificate of the deceased must accompany the request along with proof of your relationship.
You can send your request to us by post to:
Freedom of Information Section,
Quality and Patient Safety Department,
The Rotunda Hospital,
Parnell Square,
Dublin 1.
By e-mail to: [email protected]
Fees:
Fees may apply for some personal records, for example copies of x-rays. Once we commence working on your request we will be in contact with you regarding any fees that may apply.
Making a payment:
How long will the request take?
Your request should be processed within 28 calendar days. However, there are some circumstances where it may take longer. We will advise you of this and of your rights of appeal under the legislation.
HIQA carried out an unannounced inspection of the Rotunda Hospital on 7th December 2017. The inspection involved an assessment of facilities and practices in two clinical areas of the hospital. The hospital appreciates the strong endorsement of HIQA of its infection prevention and control governance strategies, which underpins the hospital’s commitment to a culture of patient safety and excellence. The hospital also acknowledges the issues raised in the report and its recommendations as part of its continued efforts to improve the quality of facilities and practices.
The Rotunda Hospital recognises and accepts that the limited physical infrastructure is challenging, and that the infrastructure of its Neonatal Unit and Post-natal Ward are outdated and do not meet modern standards. With building infrastructure that is over 260 years old, the most effective long-term solution is to complete the planned relocation of the hospital to the grounds of the Connolly Hospital Campus in Blanchardstown. Unfortunately, it is unrealistic to expect the completion of this relocation in the near future. In the absence of any indication to the contrary, it is likely that it will take at least ten years to realise the Connolly relocation, which means that over 100,000 mothers and their babies will need to be safely managed on the existing campus before a potential relocation to Connolly.
The Master of the Rotunda Hospital, Prof Fergal Malone said: “In our opinion, and now supported by this latest HIQA report, we cannot wait such a long period without taking action to protect patients from serious adverse outcomes related to infection. The Rotunda Hospital is currently embarking on a minor capital works programme to upgrade infrastructure in its existing campus, including the development of a modular operating theatre, upgrading of the Labour Ward and upgrading and refurbishment of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. These upgrade works are being funded directly by the Rotunda Hospital, with some financial support committed from the HSE Acute Hospitals Division in 2019.”
He continued by saying that modifications will not adequately address the major risks identified during the HIQA inspection, associated with overcrowding and infection that currently exist at the hospital due to its dated infrastructure. “To address these risks, the Rotunda Hospital is currently finalising an interim capital/service optimisation plan for its existing city centre campus, and is in the process of engaging with relevant stakeholders in this regard,” Professor Malone pointed out.
It was also outlined in the HIQA report that less than desirable staffing numbers likely contribute to challenges in infection outbreak management in the hospital. The hospital acknowledges this finding and has been very proactive in trying to source additional nursing and midwifery staff, in particular for the neonatal intensive care unit. This has included a major effort to recruit nurses from outside the EU.
The hospital has placed great emphasis on achieving the highest possible standards of hygiene not only at the level of frontline patient care, but just as importantly in ensuring a culture of optimising hygiene standards is evident from senior management level down throughout all sections of the organisation. The hospital has consistently achieved the required HSE hand hygiene compliance target which is commendable.
The Royal Charter of 1756 outlines the constitution and the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Governors of the hospital.
As Guardians for the Rotunda Hospital the Board has a responsibility for promoting a collective vision for the hospital purpose, its vision, culture, values and behaviours it wishes to promote in conducting business.
The Board also has responsibility to provide leadership within a framework of prudent and effective controls which enable risk to be assessed and managed. In particular it:
Each of these structures is supported by terms of reference agreed by the Board with the meeting frequency and times agreed by the appointed Committee/Group.
Prof Tom Matthews, Chairman of the Board of Governors.
The Quality, Safety and Risk Committee (QSR) is established as a Committee of the General Board under the Charter of the Rotunda Hospital. The Committee has responsibility to receive and consider reports relating to quality, safety and non-financial risk issues of the hospital and to report and to make recommendations to the General Board on these. The Committee shall also ensure that the Management Executive are taking all steps necessary to support the care of patients who attend the hospital, protect the rights of staff who are employed by the hospital and ensure the hospital fulfils all its statutory obligations under the Health Act 2004 and other legal requirements for quality and safe care provision.
The Committee Chairman is Ms Margaret Philbin.
The Governance Committee has overall responsibility for monitoring corporate and non-clinical governance structures of the Rotunda Hospital and advising the Board on areas of governance and ethical failings and exposure to non-compliance with governance standards and ethics. The Committee’s mandate is to maintain a sound system of internal control and to monitor the governance systems in place to ensure the Rotunda Hospital is adhering to all legal and best practice requirements for all aspects of its business.
The Committee is chaired by Dr David Abrahamson.
The Finance and Audit Committee has overall responsibility for monitoring corporate financial governance structures of the Rotunda Hospital and advising the Board on areas of failings and exposure to non-compliance with financial standards and financial risks. This includes managing the relationship with both external and internal auditors to ensure compliance with regulation and standards for all financial reporting.
The Committee is chaired by Mr Stuart Switzer.
The Estates and Campus Development Committee (ECDC) is established as a Committee of the General Board under the Charter of the Rotunda Hospital. It has responsibility to assess, advise and make recommendations on estates policy, major strategic developments of the campus, its infrastructure and buildings which are required to support the care of patients and visitors who attend the hospital and to provide a safe environment for all staff. This Committee will also have oversight in reviewing the EMT’s performance in meeting its obligations to provide a safe infrastructure and environment and to advise on mitigating any risks related to the infrastructure.
The Committee is chaired by Mr Greg Power.