The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has welcomed changes to the regulations that will support nursing home residents and ensure better governance in nursing homes which take effect today, 31 March 2025. 

These changes to the regulations have been introduced by the Department of Health following recommendations proposed by the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel and extensive engagement with HIQA and other key stakeholders. 
In recent weeks, HIQA has engaged with the providers of nursing homes through webinars and meetings to inform them of the changes.

The new regulations focus on a number of areas such as governance and management, residents’ rights, risk management, infection control and shorter timelines for nursing homes to notify HIQA of key events to improve the safety and welfare of residents. 

Deputy Chief Inspector of Social Services, Susan Cliffe, said: “As people get older, they must be supported to live active and fulfilling lives where their human rights are protected and promoted and in settings that are local and promote their independence as far as possible. These updated powers for the Chief Inspector represent the most extensive update to the regulations since the commencement of regulating nursing homes in 2009. We welcome their introduction today and the enhanced protections they will provide for residents. 

“COVID-19 placed an extraordinary burden on residents, their families and those working within nursing homes. The new regulations reflect learnings from the pandemic including the need to minimise risks through better measures to minimise the risk of infection and to balance this with residents’ rights to maintain contact with their family. Residents’ rights will be further enhanced by ensuring they are facilitated to communicate freely, have access to visitors and the Internet, and have a nominated close friend considered part of their family for support.

“Ultimately, better governance is our best way of managing future health risks and meet residents’ needs. HIQA recognises the demands for providers in meeting the needs of older people and these regulatory changes are being enacted to ensure that the appropriate skills and experience are in place in the management of nursing homes.” 

HIQA’s Chief Inspector will now monitor and inspect nursing homes against the new regulations, and has committed to ensuring that all nursing homes are inspected at least once a year.

ENDS

Further information:
Zoe Forde, Communications Manager
085 802 1469, zforde@hiqa.ie

Notes to the editor:

• HIQA was established on 15 May 2007. The role of the Chief Inspector of Social Services was established within HIQA, with the Chief Inspector charged with the inspection and regulation of nursing homes. On 1 July 2009, regulations governing the care and registration of nursing homes came into effect. 
• The Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 to 2025 amend the principal regulations from 2009 and the subsequent amendments in 2016, 2017 and 2022. 
• Over the past few weeks, HIQA met with over 880 nursing home providers and their nominated persons to outline the updates to the regulations. 
• Under the regulations, registered providers must ensure there is a designated ‘person in charge’ (PIC) or a qualified person to deputise for this ‘person in charge’. From 31 March, any new PIC being appointed must possess at least three years’ experience in a nursing management role and appropriate management qualifications. In addition, a PIC is now limited to oversee the management of no more than two nursing homes. Any person deputising for a PIC in a nursing home must possess at least three years' experience of nursing older persons within the previous six years.
• Providers must now have a written visitors’ policy which includes; the procedure for visitors in the event of a health-related pandemic, that any such restrictions are in place for the shortest period of time and that residents are supported to receive visits from family where possible. In addition, providers must ensure infection prevention procedures are in line with HIQA standards and that any incidents impacting residents be notified within two working days.
• The number of nursing homes increased year-on-year between 2013 and 2019, when there were 585 nursing homes. Since then, there has been a decrease in the number of nursing homes, with 553 registered nursing homes in 2023. 
• The number of nursing home beds has increased by 12% since 2013 and at the end of 2023 there was a total of 32,314 nursing home places in Ireland, up from almost 29,000 in 2013.
• These new regulations are also supported by other recent changes to legislation, including the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Act 2024 which came into effect on 23 September 2024. The Act introduces a new enforcement power for the Chief Inspector to issue compliance notices, provides for the collection and maintaining of specified information and changes the timelines for registered providers to make representations to the Chief Inspector in relation to a proposed decision by the Chief Inspector to place a condition on registration or to cancel a registration, among other powers.