Tag Archives: dublin

Xmas events shelved after Dublin hotel vomiting outbreak

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The Regency Hotel in Dublin has had to cancel a number of Christmas events and suspend its food and beverage service after a suspected outbreak of norovirus linked to its catering services.

Manager John Glynn told the Irish Times he had received “between 50 and 100” calls from people who had dined there last week complaining of being ill afterwards.

“Last Thursday a number of people were in touch saying they had been at a function on the Wednesday night and were not well.

“On the Friday evening the HSE was in touch saying they had had calls, and they visited the hotel and took samples from all the menus, including ice and water, which was stored in fridges over the weekend, to be examined in their labs.”

He said all food and beverage operations in the hotel had been suspended since yesterday morning while all food and drink service areas were decontaminated, a process he said would take 48 hours.

“We have had to cancel two events, affecting about 500 people, which is a pity but the people are very grateful and understanding of the stance I have taken.”

Faith-based food safety not enough, Dublin restaurant told to cook burgers

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A Dublin restaurant has been told by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to stop serving burgers cooked rare and medium-rare or face legal action.

The Rathmines restaurant Jo’burger has been warned by the Environmental Health Officer with the HSE to serve only well-done burgers or prove that undercooked meat can be served without the risk of E. coli bacteria and other contamination.

Jo’burger received a written warning this month that continuing to serve burgers cooked rare or medium rare could represent a “risk to public health.”

Restaurant owner Joe Macken said he had first been warned about the issue of undercooked burgers when the restaurant opened over three years ago. He responded by putting a disclaimer at the bottom of the menu, telling customers: “We will serve your burger as you request it, rare to well-done. Rare and medium-rare burgers are undercooked. Note eating of undercooked or raw meat may lead to food borne illness.”

He said the rare and medium-rare burger was a popular choice among his customers.

Asked how he could be sure his customers would not get sick, he said he was not sure. “But we have a belief in our product,” he said, and in the abattoir that produces the mince and sends it to them vacuum-packed. “The last thing they want is an E.coli outbreak.”

Handwashing at hospital in Ireland gets worse, not better

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With all the attention being paid to handwashing, especially in hospitals, it’s unique when compliance rates get worse rather than better (unless the evaluation techniques are becoming more rigorous).

The Irish Examiner reports an independent hygiene audit of a Dublin hospital has found a drop in standards since it was last assessed two years ago.

The unannounced inspection of the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital by health watchdog, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), concluded it had "not maintained its level of performance in relation to the delivery of hygiene services" since it was inspected in 2008.

* Bathrooms/washrooms were visibly unclean in three areas visited (out-patients and emergency departments share these facilities).

* Patients’ personal items were observed in bathrooms/washrooms in one of the areas visited.

* While overall, ward kitchen areas visited were clean, separate hand-wash sinks were not compliant with best practice and in one kitchen no soap was available.

* Clinical waste was stored centrally in a locked unit at the rear of the hospital, however, hazard notices were only observed on one of the locked doors and special hazardous clinical waste was not segregated from this waste.

* Waste destruction documentation was incomplete and the organisation did not demonstrate a consistent approach for monitoring this documentation.

* The majority of handwash sinks in the areas visited did not comply with guidelines for hand hygiene and hand-washing technique — essential for infection control — did not always comply with best practice.