The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation is urging the HSE to abolish the loco parentis clause in homecare nursing contracts for sick children
This clause requires that, while a qualified nurse is caring for their sick child, should a parent need to leave their home, the parent must provide ‘a designated competent individual’ to be in the home along with the nurse.
What this means in practice is that the parent is forbidden to leave the house unless another adult is present. This clause is making virtual ‘prisoners’ of parents in their own home.
Our Foundation has been lobbying the HSE and the Government on this issue for some time and to date have not received any meaningful explanation as to the rationale, research and most importantly, engagement with parents that supports this rule.
For media queries: Jean Young 086 8218412 and [email protected]
