Bill to expand Hiqa's authority to wait until after General Election

Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), said the Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill would change how the regulator interacts with hospitals. Photo: Gareth Chaney

A bill expanding Hiqa’s authority over private and public hospitals will not be passed before the election as it remains with the Attorney General for drafting, having been there since 2018.

Hospitals, public and private, could face losing their license in the same way as nursing homes do now under Hiqa (Health Information and Quality Authority) regulations.