Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 June 2020
666. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Health the response from his Department following inspection reports by HIQA on residential centres for older persons on 11 December 2019, 27 January 2020 and 3 March 2020; the steps his Department took to address the non-compliance found in centres particularly in relation to infection control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9165/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is the independent authority established under the Health Act 2007 to drive continuous improvement and to monitor safety and quality in Ireland’s health and personal social care services. Since 2009 HIQA has been the regulator for the nursing home sector. This responsibility is underpinned by a comprehensive quality framework comprising of Registration Regulations, Care and Welfare Regulations and National Quality Standards. These have all been revised and amended since their introduction.
The primary responsibility of managing the risk of infection lies with the residential care facility. In accordance with the Health Act (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations, 2013, as amended, the registered provider must ensure that procedures, consistent with the standards for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections published by the Authority are implemented by staff. This responsibility is referred to in the 2016 National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People in Ireland and the National Standards for Infection Prevention and Control in Community Services 2018.
Services are only allowed to operate if they are registered with HIQA and they are inspected regularly to ensure that they maintain a high level of care. HIQA’s programme of both scheduled and unannounced inspections helps to ensure that standards are maintained, and where issues of non-compliance arise, that these are addressed and rectified through action plans.
HIQA has significant and wide-ranging powers, up to and including, the cancellation of the registration of a nursing home if a nursing home is found to be in breach of the Regulations. HIQA also has discretion in deciding whether to impose conditions of registration on nursing homes.
