The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published inspection reports of 12 hospitals. For the first time, this number includes both public and private hospitals, following the expansion of HIQA’s monitoring role under the commencement of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 in 2024. Of those reports published today, seven pertain to private hospitals, while five relate to public hospitals.

Commenting on this first publication of inspection reports of private hospitals, John Tuffy, Head of Healthcare at HIQA, said: “The publication of our first inspection reports of private hospitals is a significant milestone for HIQA in its mission to promote safer, better care in both the public and private sector. The recent expansion of our remit will help to provide greater transparency across the healthcare sector and facilitate comparison of compliance in public and private hospitals with the goal of driving improvements in the overall delivery of healthcare in Ireland.”

As part of its inspections, HIQA monitors compliance with the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare, which describe a vision for high-quality, safe healthcare and aim to ensure consistent quality care across both public and private hospitals.

Read our publication statement below, with all inspection reports and compliance plans now available.

Monitoring inspections in healthcare services publication statement 16 October 2025

The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published 12 inspection reports on compliance in healthcare services.  This includes the first inspection reports of compliance by private hospitals with the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare since the commencement of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 in 2024. Inspections were carried out between March and June 2025 at:

• Beacon Hospital, Dublin
• Beaumont Lodge, Dublin
• Bon Secours Hospital Cork
• Bon Secours Hospital Dublin
• CareChoice Parnell Road, Dublin
• Cork University Hospital
• Leopardstown Park Hospital Rehabilitation Service, Dublin
• Listowel Community Hospital District Unit
• Mallow General Hospital
• Mater Private Hospital, Dublin
• St Patrick’s Hospital, Carrick-on-Shannon
• UPMC Aut Even Hospital, Kilkenny

Inspectors found good levels of compliance in Mater Private Hospital, Listowel Community Hospital District Unit, St Patrick’s Hospital, UPMC Aut Even and Bons Secours Hospitals in Dublin and Cork. These hospitals were found to be compliant or substantially compliant with all national standards assessed, while mixed levels of compliance were found among the other hospitals inspected. Gaps in clinical oversight and staffing arrangements in Beaumont Lodge and arrangements to manage potentially deteriorating patients in Leopardstown Park Hospital Rehabilitation Service were identified as risks and had significant potential to impact on patient safety.

Good levels of compliance were also found in Mallow General Hospital and the Beacon Hospital, although areas identified for improvement included addressing overall compliance with mandatory and essential training in Mallow General Hospital and the risk assessment of areas utilised for ED overflow in the Beacon Hospital. In most of the hospitals inspected, further improvements were identified to ensure service users were protected from the risk of harm associated with the delivery of healthcare services. The placement and availability of emergency response equipment was also identified as an area for improvement in Beaumont Lodge and the Beacon Hospital in order to enable staff to effectively and immediately respond to an emergency situation. The process of escalating and reviewing risks to the risk register in line with the facility’s risk management policy required improvement at Care Choice Parnell Road.

When compared with previous inspections in Cork University Hospital, a continued mismatch imbalance between the demand for health services and the availability of beds at the hospital was identified, which impacted patient flow on the day of inspection and contributed to a high number of delayed transfers of care. However, improvements had been made in patient experience times in the emergency department since the previous inspection, despite a 12% increase in emergency department attendances between 2023 and 2024. Overcrowding continued to impact on the privacy and dignity of patients placed on trolleys in the corridor of the emergency department. 

All hospitals inspected promoted a culture of kindness, consideration and respect for patients and this was clear to inspectors, with good compliance generally seen with regard to person-centred care and support. However, staffing deficits in Beaumont Lodge were found to impact patients’ autonomy, evidenced by reported delays in answering call bells by patients. 

Most hospitals inspected had adequate mechanisms in place to plan, organise and manage their workforce. However, Mallow General Hospital, Cork University Hospital and St Patrick’s Hospital had absenteeism rates above the HSE target of 4%, and Beaumont Lodge and Cork University Hospital faced notable staffing gaps across key disciplines, including nursing and pharmacy. These shortages placed additional pressure on existing staff in these hospitals and is not sustainable for the delivery of high-quality healthcare.

Most hospitals provided healthcare in a physical environment which supported the delivery of high-quality, safe, reliable care. However, areas for improvement were identified. Cork University Hospital was unable to maintain physical distancing of trolleys in the adult ED due to overcrowding. A lack of single room facilities in St Patrick’s Hospital and separate handwashing facilities for isolation rooms posed infection prevention and control challenges in Beaumont Lodge. Further improvements on the availability of, or use of appropriate storage facilities was an issue in Beaumont Lodge, Beacon Hospital and Mater Private Dublin.   

HIQA continues to engage with the services to ensure compliance with the national standards. 

Notes to Editor

• As of 26 September 2024, under Section 8 of the Health Act 2007 (as amended), HIQA is responsible for monitoring compliance with national standards in publicly-funded healthcare services and private hospitals. Using these powers, HIQA may make recommendations for improvement of care, but under current legislation HIQA cannot enforce their implementation.
• HSE patient experience times is a metric used by health services to quantify the length of time patients wait in an emergency department before they are either discharged or admitted to hospital.