Functions
Overview | Monitoring Health Care | Hygiene Review | Breast Disease Services Review | Investigations
The Health Information and Quality Authority has published the Report of the National Quality Review of Symptomatic Breast Disease Services in Ireland and eight local hospital reports, one for each of the designated centres.
Director of Healthcare Quality and Safety with the Health Information and Quality Authority, Jon Billings, said: “Significant progress has been made in the physical establishment of the eight designated centres. The centres have been found to be meeting the key requirements of the National Quality Assurance Standards for Symptomatic Breast Disease Services. This represents a major shift in the capability and capacity of the health system to deliver safer and better care for people with symptomatic breast disease, as compared to the position in the autumn of 2007”.
The Authority found that some centres had well established clinical and managerial governance systems in place and others were at an early stage of development and in need of ongoing evaluation and support. However, all centres have in place the fundamental requirements for safe, quality care.
The national report also found that:
- all designated centres have governance arrangements in place specifically to oversee the delivery of symptomatic breast disease services
- all centres have put in place arrangements for informing and involving patients in their care
- the collection and management of data is now happening in all centres.
- more than the minimum recommended volumes of patients are being seen in all centres and the investment in additional staff has allowed all centres to have in place the core recommended staff
The national report makes 18 recommendations and the HSE should nominate a National Director to oversee the development and implementation of an action plan for these recommendations. Regular progress reports on the implementation should be reported to the Board of the HSE and published.
The Authority has also made recommendations in the detailed local reports on the eight designated centres and has requested each centre to develop and publish robust local implementation plans for these. The Authority will be meeting periodically with the centres, and monitoring progress, in the implementation of these recommendations.