Bloomfield Hospital in Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, has apologised for the distress caused to some patients by mistreatment highlighted by an independent reviewer. Photograph: Bryan O’BrienResidents in a south Dublin mental health hospital were left soiled for an “unacceptable period”, “slapped” on the leg, cursed at and threatened with an injection to improve co-operation with staff, an investigation has found. Set up by the Quakers in Ireland, the hospital, a registered charity, cares for people with mental health issues and disorders including Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia and schizophrenia. The report said this worker witnessed patients who needed to be washed and changed after an incontinence event “being left to wait for an unacceptable period”. The investigator acknowledged most staff at the hospital appeared “committed to delivering compassionate patient-centred care to patients”.

Source: The Irish Times December 17, 2025 07:32 UTC