HIQA announces a new inspection and monitoring programme of healthcare services
Are you ready for a HIQA inspection against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare?
Overview
On 6th April 2022, The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) announced it is to commence a new inspection and monitoring programme of public acute hospitals and rehabilitation and community inpatient healthcare services.
HIQA will carry out inspections to monitor healthcare services against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare to assess the standard and quality of care in these services.
HIQA has stated that all services will receive a minimum of two inspections in each three-year cycle. One inspection will be an announced inspection and the second will be an unannounced inspection. Targeted inspections will be carried out if and when required in response to risk.
Areas of Focus during the HIQA inspection
As part of the initial phase of monitoring, HIQA state that their core assessment will relate to:
- Governance, leadership and management,
- Support of Workforce,
- Person centred care,
- Effective care
- Safe care (protecting patients from harm), with a particular focus on four key risk areas:
- Infection prevention and control
- Medication safety
- Transitions of care (into the hospital, within the hospital and
- discharges out of the service)
- Assessment of the deteriorating patient including use of early warning scores and assessment of sepsis.
HIQA have pulled out 11 specific standards from the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare for which they plan to assess services against. These are:
- Person Centred Care
- Standard 1.6 Patient Privacy, Dignity and Autonomy
- Standard 1.7 Culture of Kindness, Consideration and Respect
- Standard 1.8 Complaints and Concerns are responded to promptly, openly and effectively
- Effective Care
- Standard 2.7 Physical environment supports high quality, safe and reliable care
- Standard 2.8 Effectiveness of healthcare is systematically monitored, evaluated and continuously improved
- Safe Care
- Standard 3.1 Providers protect patients from the risk of harm through the design of services
- Standard 3.3 Providers effectively identify, manage, respond to and report on Patient Safety Incidents
- Leadership, Governance and Management
- Standard 5.2 Providers have formalised governance arrangements for assurance of high quality, safe and reliable care
- Standard 5.5 Providers have effective management arrangements
- Standard 5.8 Providers have systematic monitoring arrangements to identify opportunities to continually improve
- Workforce
- Standard 6.4 Service providers support their workforce in delivering high quality safe and reliable healthcare
Compliance with the Standards
For each of these standards, lines of enquiry have been provided by HIQA in the Guide to the Assessment Judgment Framework for monitoring healthcare services against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare to assist the healthcare provider in assessing their compliance.
Healthcare services are expected to continually review and self-assess their services against the national standards and put measures in place to comply with the standards.
How can HCI help?
HCI is the leading provider of patient safety, regulatory compliance, and quality improvement support, and digital transformation systems, to health and social care organisations in Ireland. Our experts can support your organisation in building fully comprehensive Quality and Safety Management Systems (QSMS) to support compliance with the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare and be ready for a HIQA inspection.
Our support offering includes:
- Gap Analysis against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare
- Quality Management Information System
- Governance System Reviews
- Patient Safety Culture Surveys
- Quality and Safety of Care Audit Programme
- Care Pathway Development
- Education and Training
- Incident Management
- Complaint Management