Nursing Homes: Hiqa tells PAC it may step up its out-of-hours inspections

Hiqa's chief inspector designate Finbarr Colfer and deputy chief inspector of social services Susan Cliffe arriving at Leinster House for Thursday's Dáil public accounts committee session. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins

The country’s nursing home watchdog is to consider upping the number of out-of-hours inspections it carries out across the sector, the Dáil’s public accounts committee has heard.

Finbarr Colfer, chief inspector designate at the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), said 24% of nursing home inspections were carried out outside normal working hours.