High-quality health and social care depends on routinely having good access to high-quality and timely information on which to base decisions. Our health information and health technology assessment teams are helping to lay strong foundations for building a culture of informed decision-making in our health and social services.
Hearing the voice of patients and other people who use services is of course crucial to decision-makers. The first ever National Patient Experience Survey was conducted in May of this year, with the deadline for people to return the survey closing on 26 July 2017. We have had an overwhelming response from patients, with the survey rate now standing at 50%.
I would like to convey a huge thank you to all who gave their time to try to help us to improve services for others. We will be reporting on the outcomes of the survey later in the year. Our Health Technology Assessment (HTA) team has meanwhile started work on its HTA looking at extending the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme to boys.
We also report on the work of our Collaboration in Ireland for Clinical Effectiveness Reviews (HRB-CICER) team within our HTA directorate. Also in this issue of HIQA News, we also catch up with the work of our teams in healthcare, children’s services, standards and health information, nursing homes and residential services for people with disabilities.
We do not take for granted the help and support we receive from people using and providing these services. In preparation for new statutory regulation of children’s residential centres across Ireland by HIQA, our Standards team have been working with many of our stakeholders on developing new National Standards for these children’s centres.
Since the last issue of HIQA News, we have continued to work with our partners on the National Safeguarding Committee in raising public aware of adult safeguarding issues. We continue to press for adult safeguarding legislation and as such will be making a submission to the Law Reform Commission to influence the inclusion of work on such legislation into its new work programme.
Until next time, best wishes.
Phelim Quinn