The HSE says residents at a Kerry nursing home at the centre of a COVID-19 outbreak were clinically stable, days before HIQA - the health watch dog - took court action against the facility on health and safety grounds.
Last November, 29 residents and 17 staff in Oaklands Nursing Home in Derry, Listowel tested positive for COVID-19; eight subsequently died.
On November 18th, the HSE refused to continue the emergency role it had acquired on November 4th, despite the nursing home twice formally requesting help.
On November 4th last, following an outbreak of COVID-19 at Oaklands Nursing Home in Listowel, the HSE took charge of clinical governance at the facility for a minimum of two weeks.
The HSE's Michael Fitzgerald, Chief Officer with Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, said this would be for a minimum of two weeks and that it was anticipated it'd be for four weeks or until staffing and management could be stabilised by the centre.
But on November 12th, the HSE told Oaklands it would be handing back control at 8am on the 16th of that month.
Michelle Walsh, Oaklands' general manager, asked the HSE on November 13th for ongoing support, up to the aforementioned four-week period.
Ms Walsh said that HIQA had again stated it was concerned about the residents' life, health and welfare.
On the same day, the HSE stated it was of the view that the residents had been clinically managed to a stable position and that it was reasonable to expect the centre to take back control.
On November 16th, the HSE handed back governance to the centre, where 29 residents and 17 staff had tested positive for COVID-19.
The following day, Ms Walsh again asked for assistance, saying the centre was in crisis mode for a number of reasons including that only two of nine nurses were available, that agencies couldn't provide staff, and that HIQA was taking the nursing home to court.
However, the HSE again declined to resume clinical governance of Oaklands.
Two days later, following HIQA's application, the court ordered the HSE to take control of the nursing home.
The correspondence was given to journalist Anne Lucey following a Freedom of Information Act request.
