HIQA

HIQA An independent authority working to improve health and social care services for the people of Ireland

Deputy CEO and Director of Health Technology Assessment, Dr Mairin Ryan, alongside Deputy Director of HTA, Kieran Walsh,...
02/06/2026

Deputy CEO and Director of Health Technology Assessment, Dr Mairin Ryan, alongside Deputy Director of HTA, Kieran Walsh, represented Ireland at the Heads of HTA Agencies Group (HAG) meeting in Paphos, Cyprus last week.

The HAG is an independent network of European bodies who work together to increase European collaboration on health technology assessments (HTA). A HTA evaluates the clinical and cost effectiveness of health interventions and services to advise on the best use of resources and maximise patient outcomes.

At the HAG meetings, different European countries come together for high-level strategic exchange and discussion and to promote ways to collaborate and to enhance the impact of HTAs.

The next HAG meeting will take place in Dublin in October 2026 after Ireland takes over the Presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 July 2026. We look forward to continuing this collaboration!

27/05/2026

The National Inpatient Experience Survey invites people who have spent more than 24 hours in a public hospital in May to share their experiences of care.

It aims to improve the safety and quality of care provided to people in hospital and covers every aspect of inpatient care from admission, to the ward, care and treatment, interaction with staff and discharge.

All eligible participants will be invited to take part via text message from 27 May.

The National Inpatient Experience Survey is part of the National Care Experience Programme, a joint initiative of HIQA, the HSE Ireland and the Roinn Sláinte, Department of Health.

For more information, visit www.yourexperience.ie or follow https://www.facebook.com/CareExperience.

Global Accessibility Awareness Day highlights digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities. HIQA’s national...
21/05/2026

Global Accessibility Awareness Day highlights digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities. HIQA’s national guidance on good communication in health and social care supports inclusive design, accessibility and digital health literacy for everybody using services. Every service has an important role in making digital tools easier to use.

The guidance is available on the HIQA Learning Hub: www.hiqa.ie/learning-hub

You can also read the guidance in full in an accessible HTML format: https://www.hiqa.ie/sites/default/files/2025-11/Good-communication/Communication%20in%20Health%20and%20Social%20Care.html

We have published a protocol and a review of publicly-funded services for donor-assisted human reproduction (DAHR) in se...
21/05/2026

We have published a protocol and a review of publicly-funded services for donor-assisted human reproduction (DAHR) in selected countries.

DAHR refers to any procedure that involves implanting an embryo into the womb of an individual using s***m, eggs or embryos provided by a donor.

DAHR is used by couples experiencing infertility, where there is high risk of inheriting a genetic condition, and by same-sex couples or single individuals who wish to have a child.

In this review, we looked at the level of publicly-funded services for DAHR in 10 different countries to see what is available and what policies are in place.

Find out more: https://www.hiqa.ie/reports-and-publications/health-technology-assessment/scoping-review-publicly-funded-services-donor

We have published a scoping review examining whether there is evidence that shingles (herpes zoster) vaccination may be ...
20/05/2026

We have published a scoping review examining whether there is evidence that shingles (herpes zoster) vaccination may be associated with a lower risk of dementia.

https://www.hiqa.ie/reports-and-publications/health-technology-assessment/scoping-review-association-between-herpes

This review follows our health technology assessment of herpes zoster vaccination in 2024. We undertook this scoping review in response to emerging evidence reporting a link between shingles vaccination and lower dementia risk.

Click through the images to see what we found.

Our Deputy Director of National Standards for Health and Social Care Dr Niamh O’Rourke and Deputy Chief Inspector Ciara ...
19/05/2026

Our Deputy Director of National Standards for Health and Social Care Dr Niamh O’Rourke and Deputy Chief Inspector Ciara McShane presented at the European Social Services Conference in Malta this week.

We spoke about how our work contributed to a European project to develop a shared framework for quality in social services across Europe. Launched at the European Parliament in 2025, the framework is now informing social service delivery internationally.

Grounded in a human rights‑based approach, it sets out the outcomes people should expect from the care and support services they use.

We have completed 300 inspections of nursing homes across Ireland this year so far. We are committed to inspecting every...
18/05/2026

We have completed 300 inspections of nursing homes across Ireland this year so far. We are committed to inspecting every nursing home in Ireland at least once a year. Where we have concerns about safety in any centre, we will inspect those nursing homes more frequently. Learn more about our work on www.hiqa.ie.

Clear, respectful communication is at the heart of safe, person-centred care and good communication is a key part of the...
14/05/2026

Clear, respectful communication is at the heart of safe, person-centred care and good communication is a key part of the national standards we develop that focus on the care and support of children. Together with The Child and Family Agency (Tusla) and other stakeholders, we developed a toolkit to support effective communication with children.

The Fundamentals of good communication: How to have effective everyday conversations toolkit on the HIQA Learning Hub offers practical guidance to Tusla staff on communicating with children, families, foster carers and others using children’s social services.

Check out the toolkit on our Learning Hub to learn how to make your interactions with children and their families more meaningful: https://www.hiqa.ie/learning-hub

If you want to help us build a better HIQA website, take our online survey and give us your input! The survey takes only...
12/05/2026

If you want to help us build a better HIQA website, take our online survey and give us your input! The survey takes only 5 minutes, and you have until this Friday, 15 May to submit your feedback.

Tell us your thoughts here: https://hiqa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7R7TLfgtZQy62P4

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Cork
T12W7CV

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Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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