Written answer
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes must maintain accurate, up-to-date resident records and communicate relevant information to families, ambulance services and healthcare providers under regulations and HIQA standards. HIQA monitors compliance, while the HSE’s national transfer record supports hospital transfers, although its use is not mandatory.
3550. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health the safeguards in place in nursing homes to ensure that information given to the family of a resident and, when an ambulance is called, to the ambulance personnel, hospital and other healthcare professionals, is accurate and consistent and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61728/26]
Comment on this
There are a number of safeguards in place to support the accurate and consistent sharing of information about nursing home residents with families, ambulance personnel, hospitals and other healthcare professionals.
Under the Health Act 2007 (Care and Welfare of Residents in Designated Centres for Older People) Regulations 2013 (as amended) and the Health Information and Quality Authority’s (HIQA) National Standards for Residential Care Settings for Older People, registered providers are required to maintain comprehensive, up-to-date and accurate records relating to each resident's care, assessments, treatment and significant incidents. These records are intended to support continuity of care and effective communication between care providers.
HIQA's standards also highlight clear governance arrangements, effective record management and person-centred communication. Nursing homes are required to have policies and procedures in place to ensure that relevant information is documented, communicated appropriately and shared with healthcare professionals involved in a resident's care. In this regard, nursing homes are required to have processes in place for the timely sharing of relevant information with external healthcare services involved in a resident’s care and treatment.
Where a resident is transferred to hospital or requires emergency medical assistance, relevant clinical and care information should be shared with ambulance personnel and healthcare professionals to support safe and effective care. Information provided to families and nominated representatives should similarly be informed by the records maintained by the provider and, where relevant, the findings of any assessment carried out following an incident, in accordance with the resident’s wishes and applicable consent requirements.
Nursing homes are also required to maintain records of significant incidents and transfers of care, supporting continuity of care and enabling information to be reviewed where necessary. Through its inspection and regulatory functions, inspectors of social services monitor compliance with the relevant regulations and standards.
The HSE has developed a national transfer record designed to support effective communication between a nursing home, ambulance personnel and a hospital that many private providers have adapted. While there is no regulatory requirement for a provider of a nursing home to use this document, inspectors have reported that many providers of nursing homes use this or a similar document when residents transfer to hospital.
Collectively, these measures are intended to support accurate record-keeping, effective communication, continuity of care and accountability in the sharing of information between nursing homes, emergency services and other healthcare providers, while ensuring that residents and their families are kept appropriately informed.