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NOCA is pleased to welcome the enactment of the Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023, which marks an important development that strengthens patient safety and quality within the Irish healthcare system. This legislation brings clarity to how open disclosure should be managed across healthcare settings, while also introducing protections for information gathered through clinical audit. The Act also expands upon the remit of HIQA into prescribed private health services and private hospitals, ensuring thorough oversight of the entire Irish healthcare system.
Clinical audit data is used to improve care and outcomes. Data collected for clinical audit is aggregated and ensures patients are not identifiable. The new legal provisions in the Act mean that data derived from clinical audit, when conducted in line with best practice, cannot be accessed through Freedom of Information (FOI), as admissions of fault by a healthcare organisation or professional and cannot be used as evidence in legal proceedings, to cancel a healthcare professionals’ insurance, fault, professional misconduct, poor professional performance, disciplinary or fitness to practice hearings. This approach allows healthcare professionals to conduct clinical audit effectively, helping to identify areas for improvement and ultimately enhance the quality of care delivered to patients.
Clinical audit is a key part of ensuring that our health service continues to learn and improve. By supporting a culture of transparency, the Act encourages a more open approach to learning from patient care experiences, fostering a safer healthcare environment. NOCA is committed to open and transparent reporting, supporting the principles of this Act and will continue working with healthcare providers to promote the highest standards of patient care.
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