Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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739. To ask the Minister for Health if it is mandatory for HIQA inspections of nursing homes to include infection inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15756/20]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Since 2009 the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, has been the statutory independent regulator in place for the nursing home sector, whether a HSE managed or a private nursing home. The Authority, established under the Health Act 2007, has significant and wide-ranging powers up to and including withdrawing the registration of a nursing home facility, which means that it can no longer operate as a service provider. This responsibility is underpinned by a comprehensive quality framework comprising of Registration Regulations, Care and Welfare Regulations and National Quality Standards.

HIQA monitors compliance with nationally-mandated standards and regulations to ensure that older people are receiving safe, high-quality and person-centred care. HIQA takes a risk-based approach to inspection and when information is received to suggest that there is a risk to the wellbeing of residents, HIQA uses this information to decide which regulations will be inspected against. Registered providers are required to be compliant with regulation 27 of the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 on infection control. HIQA also monitors compliance against the National Standards for infection prevention and control in community services, developed and put in place since 2018.

HIQA inspections can take place over one or two days, with the duration influenced by factors such as the:

- COVID-19 status of the centre

- reason for the inspection

- number of inspectors on inspection

- size of the centre

- findings during the course of the inspection.

Inspections progress rapidly in centres where residents are well cared for, the findings are good, and the provider is organised and the required documentation is readily available for review.

On foot of a National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) recommendation, on 23rd May, a COVID-19 Expert Panel on Nursing Homes was established to examine emerging best practice and recommendations to ensure that all protective COVID-19 public health and other measures to safeguard nursing home residents are planned and in place to respond to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic over the next 6-18 months. On 19 August the COVID-19 Nursing Home Expert Panel’s report was published. The report contains 86 recommendations across 15 thematic areas including in relation to infection prevention and control.

Given the urgency associated with the ongoing protection of nursing home residents, the need to evolve preparedness plans and to be “winter ready”, a robust implementation framework is being established. An inter-agency Implementation Oversight Team to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the report, to provide regular updates on the progress of implementation of recommendations, identify and mitigate any barriers to implementation and to report to the Minister for Health on an ongoing basis. The Oversight Team is chaired by the Department of Health and has met twice since its establishment. A Reference Group to facilitate ongoing early engagement and involvement in the implementation process with relevant national stakeholders is also being established. This Group will also meet later this month.

I am committed to ensuring that all measures required to prevent and manage an expected resurgence of COVID-19 continues to be a priority.