THE PATIENT SAFETY Act is to be commenced “in the coming days”, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said today. 

Today marks World Patient Safety Day. The Minister made his announcement as a number of events take place this week under the World Health Organization (WHO) campaign and global action plan for patient safety.

Donnelly said: “The Patient Safety (Notifiable Incidents and Open Disclosure) Act 2023 provides a legislative framework for several important patient safety issues, including the mandatory open disclosure of a list of specified serious patient safety incidents that must be disclosed to the patient and / or their family.”

The Act also provides for the mandatory notification of the same patient safety issues and events to the appropriate regulatory body. 

“This is another great stride forward in patient safety and putting the patients’ needs at the heart of the health service,” Donnelly said. 

The act was signed into law by the President last year. Now, the “preparatory steps” required to enable commencement of the act have been completed, the Department of Health said in a statement. 

Among the preparatory steps is the development of a new comprehensive training programme for all HSE staff. The act also makes a number of amendments to the Health Act 2007, including the provision for the expansion of the Health Information and Quality Authority’s remit into private hospital services. 

A conference at Dublin Castle today organised by the National Patient Safety Office (NSPO) alongside the HSE and Patients for Patient Safety Ireland hosted discussions on on new health regions, as well as how patients can be empowered to benefit from digital health innovations coming to the Irish health service.