The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published 12 inspection reports on compliance in healthcare services with the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare. 

Good overall levels of compliance were found in Blackrock Health Hermitage Clinic, Blackrock Health Galway Clinic, St. Ita’s Community Hospital, Peamount Hospital and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital. Most healthcare services inspected were found to provide person-centred care and support that upheld people’s dignity, and inspectors observed staff kindness and resect towards patients. Inspections of University Hospital Limerick, Croom Orthopaedic Hospital and Blackrock Health Hermitage Clinic found full compliance with the standard relating to quality improvement.

Mayo University Hospital and University Hospital Waterford each had six instances of partial compliance. On both of these inspections, inspectors identified some gaps in the compliance with standards relating to workforce planning; identifying, managing and responding to patient-safety incidents; and protecting service users from the risk of harm associated with the design and delivery of healthcare services.  

In 11 of the 12 services inspected, some improvement was required to ensure people using the services were protected from the risk of harm associated with the design and delivery of healthcare services. Nine services required improvement in workforce planning arrangements to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe and reliable healthcare. For example, in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, nursing vacancies in the emergency department had the potential to impact on patient safety.

Improvements were also required to meet the requirements of the national standard on physical environment in which care was delivered in nine services. For example, in Cork University Maternity Hospital, inspectors noted that space within the emergency room was limited to accommodate overall activity demand. In Mayo University Hospital, inspectors found that the emergency department was overcrowded relative to its size and intended capacity and many of the clinical areas inspected appeared in need of refurbishment. Generally, inspectors found reduced overall compliance with the national standards in Mayo University Hospital compared with the previous inspection. 

Opportunities for improvement to improve the quality, safety and reliability of their services were identified in Wicklow Community Unit, University Hospital Waterford and UPMC Whitfield. 

In UPMC Whitfield Hospital and University Hospital Waterford, gaps and inconsistencies were identified in the hospital’s incident management framework which require action to ensure alignment with national standards. 

On the inspection at University Hospital Waterford, inspectors also found instances where assessment and care planning were not responsive to an individual’s changing needs. In addition, while workforce arrangements at University Hospital Waterford were planned and organised, inspectors identified staffing gaps which had the potential to impact on the quality and safety of care, for example in the maternity service. 

On this follow-up inspection of University Hospital Limerick (UHL) following the publication of the HIQA’s independent review on the design and delivery of urgent and emergency healthcare services in HSE Mid West, inspectors found the hospital had continued effective management arrangements to sustain improvements since the previous inspection. Inspectors found that the opening of the new 96-bed block at UHL delivered early benefits to support patient flow; however, significant capacity pressures continue. This was demonstrated by the hospital’s ongoing capacity escalation, continued dependence on surge capacity, and the persisting use of trolleys for patients admitted to inpatient areas. The placement of patients on trolleys in wards is not sustainable to delivering safe patient care and patient safety risks will persist until the current and future demand-capacity gap is fully addressed. HIQA welcomes the recent announcement by the Minister for Health on the awarding of a public works contract for the delivery of a new inpatient ward block at UHL as part of implementing the advice provided in HIQA’s independent review. 

HIQA continues to engage with each service where non-compliance was identified to ensure compliance with the national standards.

Notes to Editors:

• 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.
• HIQA inspects against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare which describe a vision for consistent, high-quality, safe healthcare and provide a roadmap for improving the quality, safety and reliability of healthcare. HIQA can include or exclude any of the national standards as deemed necessary based on the nature of the target issue to be explored on inspection.
• In September 2025, HIQA published its independent Review to inform decision-making on the design and delivery of urgent and emergency healthcare services in HSE Mid West.
• HIQA judges the service to be compliant, substantially compliant, partially compliant, or non-compliant with the standards. These are defined as follows:
  • Compliant: A judgment of compliant means that on the basis of this inspection, the service is in compliance with the relevant national standard.
  • Substantially compliant: A judgment of substantially compliant means that on the basis of this inspection, the service met most of the requirements of the relevant national standard, but some action is required to be fully compliant.
  • Partially compliant: A judgment of partially compliant means that on the basis of this inspection, the service met some of the requirements of the relevant national standard while other requirements were not met. These deficiencies, while not currently presenting significant risks, may present moderate risks, which could lead to significant risks for people using the service over time if not addressed.
  • Non-compliant: A judgment of non-compliant means that this inspection of the service has identified one or more findings, which indicate that the relevant national standard has not been met, and that this deficiency is such that it represents a significant risk to people using the service.