Overview

• HIQA said a significant number of residents and staff at Kilkenny Care Centre showed signs of scabies since September 2024, with one crusted scabies case confirmed by a dermatologist.
• Public Health declared an outbreak on May 29, 2025, and documentation showed only one outbreak control meeting had been held by the time inspectors visited in July.
• Inspectors found the response fragmented with poor oversight, including failures to isolate symptomatic residents, unclear staff guidance, and inconsistent application of treatments.
• Laundry and non-washable item management, as well as deep cleaning of bedrooms after treatment, were handled improperly in ways that could sustain transmission.
• HIQA required urgent action and the owner, Mowlam Healthcare, agreed an action plan, as the regulator also reported that more than half of 50 inspected centres were non-compliant, with separate issues flagged at Beechfield Manor including staffing, temperature and fire safety concerns.