Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 March 2021
1323. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Health his views on the call for independent, human rights focused inspections in nursing homes as suggested by organisations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13928/21]
View answerHIQA is the national independent regulator of nursing homes and through its powers assesses whether residential services are providing high-quality, safe and effective services and supports for the people who live there.
HIQA has significant and wide-ranging powers up to and including withdrawing the registration of a nursing home facility, which means that it can no longer operate as a service provider. This responsibility is underpinned by a comprehensive quality framework comprising of Registration Regulations, Care and Welfare Regulations and National Quality Standards.
HIQA, in discharging its duties determines, through examination of all information available to it, including site inspections, whether a nursing home meets the regulations in order to achieve and maintain its registration status. HIQA reports on the regulations under two dimensions of:
1. Capacity and capability of the service:
This section describes the leadership and management of the centre and how effective it is in ensuring that a good quality and safe service is being provided. It outlines how people who work in the centre are recruited and trained and whether there are appropriate systems and processes in place to underpin the safe delivery and oversight of the service.
2. Quality and safety of the service:
This section describes the care and support people receive and if it was of a good quality and ensured people were safe. It includes information about the care and supports available for people and the environment in which they live. This includes assessments on resident’s rights (Section 9 of the regulations).
Should a nursing home be deemed to be non-compliant with the Regulations and the National Quality Standards, it may either fail to achieve or lose its registration status. In addition, the Chief Inspector has wide discretion in deciding whether to impose conditions of Registration on nursing homes. As part of the inspection, HIQA assesses whether the rights of people living in nursing homes have their rights respected.
The Nursing Homes Expert Panel was established, on foot of a NPHET recommendation, to examine the complex issues surrounding the management of COVID-19 among this particularly vulnerable cohort. This Expert Panel report has added further to our knowledge and learning. This report clearly outlines the key protective measures that we must ensure are in place across our nursing homes. These actions are based on learning from our own and the international experience of COVID-19 to date. The report also recommends additional analysis and examination of the relevant public health and other data sets in order that further causal and protective factors for COVID-19 clusters are identified.
Work to progress the recommendations of the Expert Panel report, particularly those recommendations requiring a priority focus in the response to COVID-19, is ongoing across all of the health agencies and stakeholders. Continued learning and understanding of progression of the disease in Ireland is an integral part of those recommendations.
The Expert Panel recommends that the Department of Health should explore a suitable structure and process for external oversight of individual care concerns arising in nursing homes, once internal processes have been exhausted without satisfaction. The Department is committed to progressing this. In addition, the Programme for Government commits to expand the remit of the Office of the Ombudsman to consider clinical decisions in health and social care complaints. This too will provide additional and welcome avenues for patient safety complaints.
Where a resident or family has a concern with regard to a regulated health professional such as a nurse or a doctor a complaint can be brought to the relevant regulator either the Nursing and Midwifery Board or the Irish Medical Council.
