The Health Information and Quality Authority, Ireland’s new independent Authority which has been established to drive continuous improvements in Ireland’s health and social care services, has today published draft national quality standards for nursing homes and other residential care settings for older people. 

The Minister of State with responsibility for Older People, Maire Hoctor, T.D. warmly welcomed the publication of the draft quality standards for public consultation. The Minister said: "The draft standards will provide the basis for the very best quality of care to be provided, monitored and enforced in all nursing homes. Following their finalisation, regulations will be drafted by the Department of Health and Children to give statutory effect to the new standards".

The 32 draft quality standards published today set out the rights of residents in residential care settings for older people and include their entitlement to protection, high quality, safe and respectful care as well as matters such as the staffing and management of the residential care settings.

The Authority is now inviting members of the public, residents, staff and other interested parties to submit their views on the draft national quality standards before they are finalised. Following this consultation, the standards will be reviewed by an established Working Group and finalised in the light of submissions received. The Authority will then work with the Department of Health and Children in developing the Regulations that will determine the standards which must be met by all registered service providers whether public, private and voluntary and they will be inspected by the Authority’s Social Services Inspectorate to ensure these are being met.

Dr Tracey Cooper, Chief Executive, the Health Information and Quality Authority said; "The fundamental right of older people to live as full a life as possible in a high quality, safe and respectful environment must be safe guarded at all costs. We have seen the serious consequences when basic standards of care have not been met. The implementation of mandatory quality standards is a hugely important development in the protection of some of the most vulnerable in our society.

"The draft standards published today for consultation have been developed with strong input from service users and older persons’ representative groups, private nursing home owner representatives, health and social care professionals, the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive (see editors’ note 2). The draft standards are based on legislation, research findings and best practice. I have no doubt that there will be much debate on these draft standards but I firmly believe that they will provide a road map towards the continuous quality improvement of residential services for older people over the next few years. They will be an objective and transparent way for both care providers and inspectors to implement and enforce standards of care for older people in nursing homes and residential care settings".

Dr Cooper added that the Health Information and Quality Authority hopes to publish the final standards later this year and that inspection against the standards will commence early next year. The Social Services Inspectorate of the Health Information and Quality Authority will be responsible for inspecting nursing homes to ensure they are meeting the new standards and that all those living in a residential care setting are receiving the quality of care they deserve.

Members of the public and interested parties wishing to submit their views on the draft national quality standards for residential care settings for older people can do so until Monday 17 September 2007 by writing to: Residential Care Standards Feedback, Health Information and Quality Authority, Social Services Inspectorate, Morrison Chambers, 32 Nassau Street, Dublin 2. Submissions can be emailed to: standards@hiqa.ie or submitted online at: Residential Consultation For enquiries about, or to order copies of, the draft standards please contact: 01 604 1782. Further details of the draft standards and the Health Information and Quality Authority can be found on www.hiqa.ie.

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Editors Note 1: Download a copy of the full standards document

Editors Note 2: Earlier this year the Authority established a working group to review the draft quality standards for residential care settings for older people that had been developed by the Department of Health and Children at the end of 2006. The draft standards published today are the result of 5 months work by the working group in refining and further developing the draft standards. Members of the working group are:

Editors Note 3: About the Health Information and Quality Authority The Health Information and Quality Authority was established as part of the Government’s overall Health Service Reform Programme. The Authority’s mandate extends across the quality and safety of the public, private and voluntary sectors. Reporting directly to the Minister of Health and Children, the Health Information and Quality Authority will have statutory responsibility for:

Setting Standards for Health and Social Services – Developing the quality and safety standards, based on evidence and best international practice, for health and social care services in Ireland (except mental health services).

Monitoring Healthcare Quality – Monitoring standards of quality and safety in our health services, implementing continuous quality assurance programmes and accrediting service providers towards excellence.

Health Technology Assessment – Ensuring the best outcome for the service user by evaluating the clinical and economic effectiveness of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics techniques and health promotion activities.

Health Information – Advising on the collection and sharing of information across the services, evaluating information and publishing information about the delivery and performance of Ireland’s health and social care services.

Social Services Inspectorate – registration and inspection of residential homes for children, older people and people with disabilities. Monitoring day and pre-school facilities and children’s detention centres; inspecting of foster care services.

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