Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 107: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she expects that national standards on private nursing homes as announced by HIQA in August 2007 will be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29966/07]

Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Currently, private nursing homes are registered in accordance with the Health (Nursing Homes) Act 1990 and are subject to inspection by the Health Service Executive on the basis of the standards set out in the Care and Welfare Regulations 1993.

However, the Deputy will be aware that the Health Act 2007 provides for the registration and inspection of all nursing homes – public, private and voluntary. As the Act provides that the enhanced inspection function will be taken over by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), draft standards (prepared by a Working Group chaired by the Department of Health and Children) were formally referred to HIQA in January 2007 for consultation and finalisation. The Authority established a wide-ranging Working Group to finalise the draft standards. The group held its first meeting on 30th January and has met on a regular basis since.

On 8 August, 2007 the Authority published their draft for public consultation prior to finalising the standards. Members of the public, service users, their families, service providers and all those with an interest in residential care for older people were invited to submit their views on the draft before Monday 17 September 2007.

The results of the public consultation were discussed at the most recent meeting of the HIQA Working Group on Friday 19th October. It is proposed to hold 2 further meetings of the Working Group to finalise the standards. The next step in the process will involve the standards being referred to the Minister for approval. Following this, Regulations will be drafted to give statutory underpinning to the Standards.

In the interim, the HSE is continuing to inspect private nursing homes using the 1993 Care and Welfare Regulations.