I propose to take Questions Nos. 212 and 245 together.
The State Claims Agency hosts the National Incident Management System (NIMS) which is the principal source of national data on incident activity for the Irish public health service. Under the National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Act 2000 State authorities are obliged to report adverse incidents promptly to the State Claims Agency (SCA). This allows the SCA, in conjunction with State authorities, to identify and analyse developing trends and patterns and to work with the State authorities concerned to develop and implement risk mitigation strategies. It is also important in the investigation of any subsequent claim.
The State Claims Agency has informed that when incidents are reported to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) they are categorised by the reporting hospital according to the severity of the injury, ranging from negligible to extreme incidents. Over half of the incidents reported were reported as negligible or minor in severity, e.g., incidents related to documentation and communication. The remainder of the incidents were reported as moderate in severity, e.g., post-procedure complications.