Message from our Chief Executive, Angela Fitzgerald

I would like to wish a belated Happy New Year to all of you who work in, use and support our health and social care services. 

I am delighted to confirm the appointment by the Minister for Health of Martin O’Halloran as our new Board Chairperson. Martin brings a wealth of leadership, governance and regulatory experience in public service to the role of Chair. Martin has also served as a Board member since 2021 and is very familiar with the work of HIQA, and this is critically important given the pace and breadth of change facing HIQA as we take on new and diverse functions.

I am pleased to have been appointed by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill as Chairperson of the Board of HIQA.

As I take up this role, I want to acknowledge the work of my predecessor, Prof. Pat O’Mahony. His outstanding leadership steered the organisation through significant change as HIQA expanded and took on new functions. I have worked in the regulatory arena for more than 20 years across social, economic, health and safety regulation and professions regulation, working closely with Pat during that period. He was a trusted friend and colleague in the regulatory world.

This is a critical time for HIQA, as we continue to take on new functions informed by emerging national and EU regulation and priorities, including regulating home support providers for the first time, the introduction of healthcare licensing, eHealth, cyber security and extended requirements in relation to health technology assessment.

I believe in this organisation, its people, its values and mission and the potential to effect real change for those using health and social services. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to steer HIQA at this time of significant change and growth.

Share your views to inform our consultation on use of AI in health and social care

We are holding a public consultation to seek feedback from the public and stakeholders on our Draft National Guidance for the Responsible and Safe use of Artificial Intelligence in Health and Social Care Services.

AI has the potential to deliver a wide range of benefits in the health and social care sector in Ireland. It is already being used across the sector and its role will only continue to grow, though it is important that human oversight is maintained. Our draft guidance aims to promote awareness and build good practice among services and staff about the responsible and safe use of AI in their services. It also aims to prepare the sector for the significant changes that are coming in this area.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Thursday, 5 March.

 HIQA attends the Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters

Results of second National Maternity Experience Survey published

The results of the second National Maternity Experience Survey, published in December, show that most women in Ireland reported positive experiences of maternity care. The majority of respondents said they were treated with dignity and respect, and trusted in the healthcare professionals who cared for them. The results reveal the progress made since the first survey in 2020 in areas such as involvement in care decisions and emotional support from healthcare professionals. Women also highlighted areas for improvement, such as receiving information on physical changes and nutrition during pregnancy, support with feeding the baby at home and communication with GPs after birth.

The National Maternity Experience Survey is part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative by HIQA, the Health Service Executive and the Department of Health to help inform improvements to maternity services nationwide.

Involving patients and clinicians in National Clinical Guidelines development

Dr Máirín Ryan, our Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health Technology Assessment, has written an article on the importance of patient and clinician involvement in HIQA’s approach to developing National Clinical Guidelines.

The recent ‘Our Healthcare System, Our Voices: An Evidence-based Approach for Healthcare' conference brought patients, members of the public, clinicians, researchers and policy-makers together to explore how stakeholder involvement can be strengthened in the development of clinical guidelines.

National Guidance on Good Communication in Health and Social Care launched

We have published new national guidance on good communication in health and social care, incorporating the use of plain language to make sure information is clear and accessible to all.

Developed with people who use services, providers and organisations such as the National Adult Literacy Agency, the guidance includes effective tools and learning resources for health and social care professionals. It strives to support more inclusive, person-centred and human rights-based support, helping people to better understand their care and make informed decisions about their health.

Inspections of children's services show good outcomes for children linked to allocated social workers

In December, we published our Overview Report on the monitoring and regulation of children’s social care services 2024. This report details the findings of HIQA’s inspection, regulation and monitoring of children’s services during 2024 and captures the feedback and experiences of children and young people receiving services.

We found that, across all services inspected, when children were allocated a social worker or other care worker, the quality of service delivered to them was strong. Challenges remain in the sector relating to the resourcing of services, from recruiting and retaining staff to sourcing suitable placements for children in care to live in.

Pictured above are: Angela Fitzgerald, HIQA Chief Executive; John Tuffy, HIQA's Head of Programme Healthcare Services; and HIQA staff at an event to mark the International Atomic Energy Agency Integrated Regulatory Review Service Mission to Ireland in January.

HIQA publishes advice on abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening programme for men

We have published a health technology assessment of screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA or ‘triple A’) in men, following a request of the National Screening Advisory Committee to help inform its decision on whether to introduce an AAA screening programme for men in Ireland.

The assessment found that AAA prevalence and rupture rates in men are declining internationally, and the clinical and economic benefits of population-based screening are decreasing over time as the number of people with an AAA declines.