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HIQA compliance hub

HIQA guides

Each guide answers one question a provider in Ireland asks about HIQA, from the official sources it cites. There are 7 guides across 6 topics, last checked on 16 October 2026.

The depth of an inspection readiness review, written from HIQA's own standards, judgment framework and inspection guide, and the Mental Health Commission's framework for approved centres. HIQA now monitors 116 public and private services, and publishes every report by name. Each guide ends with how wai does the work.

Updated .

A man walking across a soaring stone and glass hospital atrium, a single tree in the light of tall windowsLicensingDoes a hospital or clinic in Ireland need a licence from HIQA?A medical director alone at a long pale stone table in a bright clinic, reviewing a single bound document, green trees beyond the glassInspectionHow do you prepare for a HIQA inspection?A woman reading a tablet at a long white table beside tall sash windows, a stone building oppositeDocumentsWhich documents and policies does HIQA expect a hospital to have?An operations lead and a physician talking beside a vast sunlit window, a park and a city skyline belowEvidenceHow should you organise evidence for the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare?Two staff talking behind a long wooden reception desk under paper lanterns in a calm, sunlit clinicInspectionWhat happens on the day of a HIQA inspection, and what do inspectors ask?

More guides

  1. 16 Oct 2026How should Irish healthcare providers handle notifiable incidents and complaints?Incidents
  2. 16 Oct 2026What does HIQA expect of patient experience, and how do you make it world class?Patient experience

How the guides map to the HIQA framework

The hub sets out the 8 headings HIQA works to, and the guides take them one task at a time.

The 8 headings on the HIQA hub

  1. Person-centred care and support, 9 standards on the hub. Services are planned around what people need, respect their rights and dignity, obtain informed consent and answer complaints openly.
  2. Effective care and support, 8 standards on the hub. Care reflects the best evidence, is planned for each person, is coordinated between services and is monitored for what it achieves.
  3. Safe care and support, 7 standards on the hub. Services protect people from harm, learn from incidents, report patient-safety incidents and tell patients openly when something goes wrong.
  4. Better health and wellbeing, 1 standard on the hub. Services use every contact to promote and protect the health of the people they serve.
  5. Leadership, governance and management, 11 standards on the hub. Clear accountability, formal governance, a public statement of purpose and systematic monitoring of quality and safety.
  6. Workforce, 4 standards on the hub. The workforce is planned, recruited, trained and supported to deliver safe care.
  7. Use of resources, 2 standards on the hub. Resources are planned and used to get the best quality and safety for the money spent.
  8. Use of information, 3 standards on the hub. Information is governed well, used to improve care, and healthcare records are managed properly.

The 6 topics the guides are filed under

  1. Licensing, 1 guide and about 9 minutes of reading. Licensing and registration.
  2. Inspection, 2 guides and about 17 minutes of reading. Inspection preparation and The inspection day.
  3. Documents, 1 guide and about 8 minutes of reading. Documents and policies.
  4. Evidence, 1 guide and about 8 minutes of reading. Organising the evidence.
  5. Incidents, 1 guide and about 9 minutes of reading. Incidents and complaints.
  6. Patient experience, 1 guide and about 8 minutes of reading. Patient experience.

Questions about the HIQA guides

Which HIQA guide should I read first?

Start with Licensing and registration, the first guide on this page, about 9 minutes of reading, filed under Licensing. The other 6 each stand on their own, so take them in the order your own preparation needs.

How do these guides relate to the HIQA hub?

The HIQA hub sets out the 8 headings HIQA works to and how wai evidences each one. Each guide goes one level down, to a single task, with steps to follow, a template to copy, answers to common questions and the sources behind it.

How current are the HIQA guides?

Every guide shows the date its facts were checked against the official sources it cites. All 7 were checked on 16 October 2026, the same date the hub shows beside its Updated line.

Are the HIQA guides legal advice?

They are guidance, not legal advice, written from what HIQA publishes, with a link to the source for each fact. Neither HIQA nor the Mental Health Commission endorses wai or any software, and the compliance judgment for your organisation is decided by HIQA, or by the Mental Health Commission for an approved centre.

How do I request a demo for HIQA?

Request a demo from this page and it reaches the wai team with HIQA already named, so the call starts from HIQA rather than a general tour. You can also write to team@wellnessa-i.com.

The hub

  1. HIQAWhich software helps you prepare for HIQA inspection?Hub

See wai on your own diary, notes and inbox.

Fifteen minutes on video, with your team, against the standards HIQA will assess.

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