We register, inspect and regulate nursing homes:

• We register all nursing homes that meet the requirements set out by the Health Act 2007, the regulations (law) and national standards. All nursing homes must be registered with us in order to be able to admit and look after people. We keep the register on our website.
• We inspect and monitor nursing homes to check they are meeting regulations and national standards. This aims to ensure that providers deliver a safe, quality service to residents. We carry out different types of inspections, the majority of which are unannounced.
• We publish our inspection reports so the public can see how nursing homes are performing and what it is like to live there.
• We act on risks where nursing homes are unsafe or failing to meet their legal responsibilities.

During an inspection of a nursing home, we speak with the people living and working there. Our inspectors review all information about the nursing home, including information gathered during the inspection and any other information received and use it to inform our work. We want to know that people who are receiving residential care and support in a nursing home:

• are safe
• have their rights respected
• are included in decisions about their care
• are provided with care that matches their individual health and social needs and
• have a good quality of life.

We publish an inspection report on our website.

These reports give information to the public on what it is like to live in the nursing home and whether the nursing home consistently provides good care. If we find a nursing home needs to make improvements, the reports include a ‘compliance plan’ from the provider which sets out what they are doing to improve care and support for residents.

When required, we take any necessary action to enforce improvement if a provider is failing to meet their legal responsibilities. 

We listen to your feedback. We send surveys or questionnaires to nursing homes before an announced inspection to allow residents to give us feedback on what it is like to live in their nursing home.

The survey can also be completed at any time and then be sent to us. 

Open our resident surveys (opens new tab).

Learn how to feedback or raise a concern about the care or support you receive in a nursing home (opens new tab).

The Chief Inspector of Social Services is required to establish and maintain registers of nursing homes. The content of the register is set out in law and includes the below information: 

• Date of the nursing home’s registration and expiry date
• Registered provider and related contact details
• Person in charge details
• People participating in management of the nursing home
• The number of residents that can live in the nursing home
• Any conditions applying to the registration of the nursing home

Download the Register (CSV file, 1.92KB)

Section 64 Register

Where a registered provider is not providing a safe service to residents, the Chief Inspector may cancel the provider’s registration of a nursing home. When a nursing home’s registration is cancelled, the HSE must take over the running of the nursing home until alternative arrangements can be made for the residents under section 64 of the Health Act 2007 (as amended). 

Download the Section 64 Register (CSV file, 10.7KB)

We regulate in line with the Health Act 2007 (as amended) and associated regulations.

• View the Health Act 2007 (as amended) (external website) 
• View the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 (as amended) (external link)
• View the Health Act 2007 (Registration of Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2015 (as amended) (external link)