The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today launched a public consultation on its Draft Corporate Plan 2016–2018, which will outline the direction and focus of the organisation for the next three years.

People who use health and social care services and other interested stakeholders are being invited to give their views on this Corporate Plan and on the strategic objectives to be achieved over the next three years. In developing the Corporate Plan, HIQA has reviewed each of its areas of work to ensure it has maximum impact on the quality and safety of health and social care services.

Consultation submissions will be reviewed to produce a final draft concentrating on a number of outcomes, namely: that services are safer, that care is better, that decisions on how services are provided are informed and that assurance is provided to the public and other stakeholders on the quality and safety of services.

Chairperson of HIQA’s Board, Brian McEnery, said: “We have developed this Draft Corporate Plan with the experience of discharging our functions across the health and social care system over the past eight years and at a time when Government policy signals the further expansion of HIQA’s remit.

“Our Draft Corporate Plan sets out our aims and objectives for the next three years. It also outlines how we will meet our core legal responsibilities and how we will plan and prepare for the future. This plan also emphasises the need for HIQA as a public body to be accountable, provide value for money and use information about our health and social care services to direct our resources to where they are most needed.”

Speaking at the launch of the public consultation, HIQA CEO Phelim Quinn said: “We are committed to constructively communicating and working with the general public. We do not have an exclusive role in promoting quality and improvement — this must remain a common objective for all those planning, funding and delivering health and social care and support services.

“For this reason, we are encouraging a wide range of our stakeholders and the general public to engage with this public consultation.”

The Draft Corporate Plan has been developed taking account of the wider environment within which health and social care services are provided.

This Draft Corporate Plan is driven by HIQA’s mission and values, with a specific focus on continuing to make sure that the needs, rights and the voices of people who use health and social care and support services are central to all our work.

It includes a strategy map that depicts the direction the Authority will take during the three-year period, specifically what we aim to achieve, what we do, how we do it and how our key enablers help us achieve our planned goals.

Following this consultation, all submissions will be considered and will inform the final Corporate Plan. When approved by the HIQA Board, the final Corporate Plan 2016–2018 will be submitted to the Minister for Health for his consideration. Following this, the approved Corporate Plan will be laid before the Oireachtas.

The Draft Corporate Plan is available on the Authority’s website, and the deadline for receipt of feedback is 5pm on Tuesday 8 December 2015. To take part in the consultation, members of the public can complete a brief survey online, or by filling in the form and returning it either by email to corporateplan@hiqa.ie or by posting it to the Health Information and Quality Authority, George’s Court, George’s Lane, Smithfield, Dublin 7, D07 E98Y.

ENDS

Further Information: 

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement, HIQA
01 814 7480 / 086 2447 623 mwhelan@hiqa.ie