Inspectors show their authorisation, confirm the schedule with the person in charge, visit a sample of clinical areas, read healthcare records, talk with patients and staff, and meet the executive team on governance and safety systems. They close with preliminary findings, and HIQA aims to issue the draft report within 30 working days.
The shape of the day
Inspectors carry personal identification and a certificate of authorisation, and staff should ask to see it. They meet the person with overall responsibility for the service, confirm the meetings and who must attend, and hand over a request for on-site documentation.1 They will need a secure meeting room, access to records, and badges or key cards to move freely through the hospital.1
| Part of the day | What inspectors do |
|---|---|
| Clinical areas | Meet the ward manager, observe, speak with patients and staff, review healthcare records and local training or audit records |
| Documents | Review what was submitted beforehand and what is requested on site |
| Scheduled meetings | Governance and assurance structures, safety systems, and issues raised by the evidence |
| Close-out meeting | Preliminary findings, and any immediate risks |
Who inspectors usually meet
HIQA's inspection guide lists the leads inspectors typically meet, for infection prevention and control, medication safety and drugs and therapeutics, the deteriorating patient, transitions of care, non-consultant hospital doctors, complaints, quality and patient safety, open disclosure and human resources.1 Their questions follow the lines of enquiry in the judgment framework.2
| Likely question | What to show |
|---|---|
| How do you know this service is safe today? | Monitoring data, and the decisions it led to |
| How do you escalate a deteriorating patient? | The early warning process and records of it in use |
| What happens at discharge or transfer? | A complete, signed letter sent at the transition |
| How did you learn from your last incident? | The review, the open disclosure and what changed |
| How does a patient raise a concern? | The complaints process and recent outcomes |
- Check identification. Ask to see each inspector's passport-style authorisation before the inspection begins.
- Name a coordinator. One person who books rooms, finds documents and tracks every request.
- Log every request. What was asked for, by whom, and when it was supplied.
- Let staff answer. Inspectors want the nurse's account of practice on the ward, in their own words.
- Take notes at close-out. Write down every preliminary finding and immediate risk.
- Answer an urgent risk within 24 hours. HIQA asks for detailed assurance on how an urgent risk will be addressed.
- Supply anything missing. Within the time the inspector sets.
- Time ______ Inspector ______
- Requested ______
- Supplied by ______ At ______
- Contains identifiable data, yes or no ______
- Preliminary finding noted ______
After the day
HIQA aims to issue the draft report within 30 working days. The provider returns factual accuracy feedback and, where any standard is partially compliant or non-compliant, a signed compliance plan, within 21 calendar days. The final report and compliance plan are published with five working days' notice.1 An approved centre follows a similar path, with a draft report, comments from the registered proprietor and a corrective and preventative action plan for each non-compliance.3 The preparation guide covers the weeks before.
Questions
Can HIQA inspect at night?
Yes. An unannounced inspection can happen at any time of the day or night, on any day of the week.
Do inspectors advise on how to comply?
No. They may mention known good practice, but the provider devises its own actions to reach compliance.
How long do we have to respond to the draft report?
Twenty-one calendar days, for both the feedback form and the compliance plan, which are sent in the same email.
Sources
- 1Health Information and Quality Authority, 2024A guide to healthcare inspections against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare, version 2.0, September 2024Read source
- 2Health Information and Quality Authority, 2024Guidance on the Assessment Judgment Framework for the monitoring of healthcare services against the National Standards for Safer Better Healthcare, version 2.0, September 2024Read source
- 3Mental Health Commission, 2026Overview of Mental Health ServicesRead source
Written by the wai team from Health Information and Quality Authority guidance, checked on 16 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. Neither HIQA nor the Mental Health Commission endorses wai or any software.