Quality Improvement Plan

According to the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare (2012):

The National Standards are not intended to layer additional requirements on service providers, rather to provide the framework for how services are organised, managed and delivered on a day-to-day basis. However, it is recognised that implementing these National Standards could require a significant change in how services are planned and delivered. Service providers will be expected to carry out a self-assessment of where they are currently in relation to compliance with all the National Standards and then put in place progressive implementation plans to address any gaps. The features described under each Standard are designed to help with this process, though service providers may demonstrate that they meet the requirements of the National Standards through other valid ways.

In their self-assessment, service providers must identify and prioritise areas that need greater emphasis or a faster rate of progression towards full and sustainable compliance – particularly when identifying areas of risk.

The National Standards require every service provider to have a designated and clearly identified an individual with overall executive accountability for the delivery of high-quality safe services, including the implementation of the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare. This individual should be the chief executive, or equivalent, of an organisation who may, in all but very small organisations, explicitly further delegate the accountability and responsibility for this to identified individuals within the organisation. However, this does not dilute that designated and clearly identified individual’s overall accountability. Where a service provider has a governing board, the board has ultimate accountability for the quality and safety of the services provided and, consequently, the implementation of the National Standards. Establishing these arrangements is an essential prerequisite for implementing these National Standards.

To assist services to implement the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare, the HSE developed a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) template. The QIP lists each theme and standard, under which the service can record the level of quality, the action to improve the level, the person responsible for that action and the due date for the action.
For more information on implementing the standards please see Part One of the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare.