HIQA publishes a review of its regulation of social care and healthcare organisations in 2017

HIQA recently published a review of its regulation of social care and healthcare services. This report highlights good practice, areas for improvement and key challenges for older people’s services, disability services, children’s services and healthcare.

Inspectors have found that due to ongoing monitoring and regulation of services there has been an increase in compliance and providers are striving to go beyond basic compliance and are looking to achieve quality improvement. This trend is particularly evident in the nursing home sector where data shows the number of designated centres fully compliant in 2017 was at 27%, almost double of what was compliant in 2016.

In 2017, HIQA carried out 839 inspections of residential services for adults and children with disabilities. Inspectors found that there is evidence of a good quality service but providers are struggling to attain a sufficient level of compliance in order to be registered by the 31 October 2018 deadline.

HIQA stresses the need for organisations to take their safe guarding responsibilities more seriously. In 2017, inspectors found non-compliance with some of the most basic features of safeguarding such as An Garda Síochána Vetting.

HIQA notes that many of the failures of care that impact on residents and people who use services can be traced back to poor governance and a lack of accountability. HIQA’s inspection findings support the view that effective governance and clear accountability structures are essential for the sustainability of quality and safety of care in all healthcare organisations.

To view the full report see: Overview of 2017 HIQA regulation of social care and healthcare services.