HIQA publishes Healthcare Overview Report 2020
Introduction
On the 10th August 2021, HIQA published the Healthcare Overview Report 2020. This report provides an overview of inspection activity in public acute healthcare services and community and rehabilitation inpatient services to assess compliance with national standards.
The report also outlines inspections and other statutory functions undertaken in line with HIQA’s remit as the competent authority in Ireland with responsibility for regulating services providing medical exposure to ionising radiation.
During 2020, HIQA focused its inspections on known areas of risk, with a particular focus on the management of COVID-19. These areas included infection prevention and control, governance and risk management, and medication safety.
HIQA completed 66 inspections in Irish healthcare services in 2020.
Key Findings
HIQA note reoccurring issues of concern relating to non-compliance with national standards, in particular:
- capacity issues and workforce challenges
- Long waiting lists
- Overcrowding problems in hospitals
- poor infrastructure and physical environment
- over reliance on a hospital-centric model of care
As with similar reports from HIQA, this report identifies that good governance and leadership is the first line of defence when providing safe, high-quality and reliable healthcare, particularly in response to the crisis situation posed by the global pandemic.
Download Report
To view the full report on the HIQA website click here: https://www.hiqa.ie/reports-and-publications/corporate-publication/healthcare-overview-report-2020