RQIA board resignation shows a failed system - care homes must now be brought back into public ownership and control

The Chief Medical Officer, and any senior officials in the Department of Health or in the NI Executive, who ordered reduced inspections of care homes during Covid crisis must now resign

Cross-community Socialist councillor for Enniskillen Donal O’Cofaigh responded to news that the entire board of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) had resigned by calling for those responsible for the Covid scandal in care homes to follow suit and for the sector to be brought back into public ownership.

“The resignation of the entire RQIA board - the body meant to oversee care homes in Northern Ireland - shows just how bad things have become. The resignations are certainly not before time but are probably only a precursor to another changing of the deck-chairs on the Titanic. Will anything really change?

“The RQIA has been failing long before the Covid-19 pandemic. For at least 18 months it has been clear that the RQIA is another shining example of ‘regulatory capture’. Some privatised care home sector operators have been able to act with impunity when it comes to basic standards of care. Like an iceberg, the public are only aware of a small proportion of the difficulties in the sector - which extend across the region.

“The revelation that RQIA’s inspections were effectively stood down during the pandemic is particularly grave given the disclosure that Covid suspects were released en-masse into the care homes and raised very many serious questions. 

“Alongside journalists, and using the platform of my council position, I have been trying to get answers on this scandal for two months now. From the very start I have highlighted what workers were telling me was happening but looking back knowing what we know now it looks even more concerning.

“We need full accountability. It’s the Chief Medical Officer, and any senior officials in the Health Department or in the Northern Ireland Executive, who should be resigning not just those on the RQIA board.

“But we need much more. Care homes and those who reside within them have made a lifetime of contributions to society - they have the right to expect a decent standard of care in their senior years. We all know that profit will always trump patient and workforce care when it comes to private providers. Care homes must be brought back in-house and run as publicly funded services, in a democratically accountable and transparent way, central to our NHS Health & Social Care service which was always meant to be ‘from cradle to grave’”, Cllr O’Cofaigh ended.