Self-assess against the core national standards using HIQA's own lines of enquiry, keep the evidence filed per standard, and focus on the four areas of harm HIQA inspects, infection prevention and control, medication safety, the deteriorating patient and transitions of care. An announced inspection gives 10 working days' notice and a five-day document request, and an unannounced one gives none.
How HIQA plans its inspections
HIQA monitors by risk. Standard monitoring is two inspections in each three-year cycle, one announced and one unannounced, each over one to two days. A short-notice announced inspection, with 24 to 48 hours' notice, is kept for exceptional circumstances, and an unannounced inspection can happen at any time of the day or night.1 Before an announced visit HIQA reads its previous reports, patient survey results, unsolicited information, Patient Safety Act notifications and publicly reported performance data.1
| Inspection type | Notice | What to have ready |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 10 working days | The documentation, data and information request, returned within five working days |
| Short-notice announced | 24 to 48 hours | Key staff available, evidence retrievable the same day |
| Unannounced | None | Everything, all the time |
| Targeted | Announced or not | Evidence for the risk or issue that triggered it |
The standards a routine inspection assesses
HIQA's inspection guide lists a sample set of standards typically assessed on a routine inspection, and inspectors may add or remove any standard.1 HIQA's 2024 annual report describes the programme as a core assessment of 11 national standards focused on the four areas of harm.2
| Theme | Standards typically assessed |
|---|---|
| Person-centred care | 1.6 dignity, privacy and autonomy, 1.7 kindness, consideration and respect, 1.8 complaints and concerns |
| Effective care | 2.7 the physical environment, 2.8 monitoring and improving effectiveness |
| Safe care | 3.1 protecting people from harm, 3.3 patient-safety incidents, 3.5 open disclosure |
| Leadership, governance and management | 5.2 governance, 5.5 management arrangements, 5.8 systematic monitoring |
| Workforce | 6.1 planning and managing the workforce |
- Download the judgment framework. HIQA's Guidance on the Assessment Judgment Framework sets out the lines of enquiry for every standard, and HIQA says providers should use it to self-assess.
- Self-assess the core standards. Judge each one compliant, substantially compliant, partially compliant or non-compliant, as an inspector would, and write down why.
- Name a lead for each area of harm. Infection prevention and control, medication safety, the deteriorating patient and transitions of care.
- File evidence per standard. So the five-day request is answered by retrieval, never by writing new documents.
- Close last time's compliance plan. Every action dated, with the person responsible and the evidence it is done.
- Brief the person in charge. All HIQA communication about an announced inspection goes to the person with overall responsibility for the hospital.
- Rehearse an unannounced visit. Walk a ward with fresh eyes, read three records cold and ask a nurse the questions in the framework.
- Standard ______ Lead ______
- Our judgment, compliant, substantially, partially or non-compliant ______
- Evidence filed at ______
- Gap ______ Action ______ Owner ______ Date ______
- Area of harm it touches ______
- Reviewed by governance committee on ______
One rule to keep
HIQA asks providers not to send identifiable patient information or personal data in anything submitted before an inspection.1 The guide to organising evidence covers how to file it per standard.
Questions
How much notice does HIQA give?
Ten working days for a standard announced inspection, 24 to 48 hours for a short-notice one, and none for an unannounced inspection.
How long does a HIQA inspection take?
One to two days, depending on the size of the facility, its services and what inspectors find.
Do inspectors tell you how to comply?
No. They may give examples of good practice, but devising the actions to reach compliance is the provider's responsibility.
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, 2025Annual Report 2024Read source
- 3Health 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
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.