The Authority is fully committed to supporting the ongoing drive for quality improvement in Ireland’s health and social care services. Such improvement can only be demonstrated by the measurement of positive and tangible change – both qualitative and quantitative. This ethos underpins all of the Authority’s work and has been the centrepoint of this robust assessment process which has required hospitals to demonstrate, through the provision of evidence, their performance against each of the Authority’s key hygiene standards.

The Authority is pleased to report and acknowledge that there have been tangible improvements in hygiene standards in hospitals since the first Review was undertaken by the Authority last year. However, there is still room for further and significant improvement in a number of areas.