Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 November 2020
818. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the status and plans for advancing the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill 2018; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36872/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department continues to progress work on the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill which will, for the first time introduce a licensing requirement for all hospitals, public and private, and certain designated high-risk activities in the community. The general scheme of the Bill was approved by Government on 12th December 2017. It underwent Pre-Legislative Scrutiny at the Oireachtas Joint Committee of Health on 13 June 2018 and it is currently with the Attorney General’s Office in order for drafting to be undertaken.
As a precursor or interim step to the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill, the Government approved, on the 5 July 2018, the general scheme of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Patient Safety Incidents) Bill 2019 which will provide the legislative framework for the extension of the Health Information Quality Authority regulatory remit to private hospitals. This Bill also includes provisions for the establishment of a legislative framework for mandatory open disclosure and reporting of designated serious patient safety incidents and, the provision of certain legislative protections for the conduct of clinical audit against explicit clinical standards on a national basis. It is part of the current Programme for Government, was introduced into Dáil Éireann on the 12 December 2019, passed Second Stage and is due to go to Dáil Committee Stage.
