National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare

The National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare are the quality standards framework developed by Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) in 2012. These National Standards apply to all healthcare services (excluding mental health) provided or funded by the HSE including, but not limited to, addiction services.

Download National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare (2012)

The National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare:

Offer a common language to describe what high quality, safe and reliable healthcare services look like
Can be used by service users to understand what high-quality safe healthcare should be and what they should expect from a well-run service
Enable a person-centred approach by focusing on outcomes for service users and driving care which places service users at the centre of all that the service does
Create a basis for improving the quality and safety of healthcare services by identifying strengths and highlighting areas for improvement
Can be used in day-to-day practice to encourage a consistent level of quality and safety across the country and across all services
Promote practice that is up to date, effective and consistent
Enable providers to be accountable to service users, the public and funding agencies for the quality and safety of services by setting out how they should organise, deliver and improve services

Please see part one of the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare for further information and implementation principles.

The aim of the National Standards is to give a shared voice to the expectations of the public, service users and service providers. They also provide a roadmap for improving the quality, safety and reliability of healthcare.

The National Standards are divided into 8 themes

Person-centred care and support
Effective care and support
Safe care and support
Better health and wellbeing
Leadership, governance and management
Workforce
Use of resources
Use of information

Please see part two of the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare for the standards, features and service user outcomes associated with each theme.

Contact
For more information on the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare please contact drugs.ie@hse.ie