A male nurse has been arrested after a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted at a hospital. (Stock picture)

A male nurse has been arrested after a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted at a hospital.

The elderly woman, who is understood to be a patient at the Dublin hospital, was allegedly sexually assaulted on December 26 last.

Gardaí have confirmed to the Irish Independent they arrested the nurse, aged in his late 40s, as part of the investigation into the alleged assault.

A Garda spokeswoman said in a statement: "Gardaí are investigating an alleged sexual assault of a woman at a hospital in the Dublin area on December 26, 2018.

"As part of the investigation a man in his late 40s was arrested on January 24, 2019."

The spokeswoman said he had since been released without charge and a file would be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The hospital, which cannot be identified for legal reasons, is co-operating with gardaí but would not comment as the matter is under investigation.

All hospitals in the country are obliged to follow the HSE's 'Trust in Care' policy, which aims to uphold the dignity and welfare of patients and manage allegations of abuse against staff.

It states that the health service is committed to promoting the well-being of patients and providing a caring environment where they are treated with dignity and respect.

The policy states that health managers are responsible for maintaining the required standards of care within their area of responsibility and for dealing with any shortfalls in standards or reports of suspected or alleged abuse.

In the event that a manager receives a complaint of abuse, a preliminary screening should be carried out to establish the facts around the complaint.

When dealing with the complaint, the manager should ensure, insofar as possible, that confidentiality is maintained and the staff member against whom the allegation is made is fully protected throughout the process.

The purpose of the preliminary screening is to ascertain, if it is possible, that an abusive action could have occurred. It says the preliminary screening must be carried out by the immediate line manager of the accused person.

Irish Independent