Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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693. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to ensure nursing homes, especially those in which there were clusters of Covid-19 cases and deaths, will meet HIQA standards, for example, in infection control in the coming months; the steps which will be taken to ensure adequate staffing levels, trained personnel and medical care are in place before the winter and a possible second wave or flu virus arrives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9329/20]

Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is the independent authority established under the Health Act 2007 to drive continuous improvement and to monitor safety and quality in Ireland’s health and personal social care services. Since 2009 the HIQA has been the statutory independent regulator for the nursing home sector.  This responsibility is underpinned by a comprehensive quality framework comprising of Registration Regulations, Care and Welfare Regulations and National Quality Standards. These have all been revised and amended since their introduction.

Since the onset of this pandemic, HIQA has put in place a quality assessment process whereby all designated centres, including nursing homes are formally contacted on a regular basis by an inspector of social services to assess how they are coping, the welfare of the residents, any concerns they have, and any deficits identified in their ability to sustain a safe, high-quality service. HIQA has completed a risk assessment of all nursing homes. On 6 April, it commenced a focused COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Hub to provide nursing home providers with guidance and supports; including an escalation pathway, where required, to the HSE. 

In addition, I would like to note that HIQA has developed a regulatory assessment framework of the preparedness of designated centres for older people for a COVID-19 outbreak. The regulatory assessment framework aims to support those centres that are currently free from COVID-19 to prepare for an outbreak of COVID-19 and put in place the necessary contingency plans. This programme is in line with HIQA’s established Authority Monitoring Approach. 

The purpose of this programme is to provide support to nursing home providers to ensure that they are fully prepared and to build confidence in their ability to mitigate and manage COVID-19. The HIQA team will support providers, as necessary, to ensure that they plug into the supports being provided by the HSE.  

Nursing home providers are ultimately responsible for the safe care of their residents. All nursing homes, public and private have a duty to ensure continued adherence to the existing regulatory and standards framework in the discharge of their duties. 

In addition to the ongoing support of independent regulator the HSE continues to provide unprecedented supports to nursing homes including relevant clinical and infection prevention and control advice, funding, access to PPE and in some cases, where necessary, staffing support. 

I would also like to advise the Deputy that there has been ongoing engagement with Nursing Homes Ireland, the representative body for private nursing homes, at Ministerial and Official level.