HIQA Inspections Explained: How to Read a Nursing Home Report

Every nursing home in Ireland must be registered with HIQA, the Health Information and Quality Authority, and is inspected by its Chief Inspector of Social Services. HIQA does not give nursing homes an overall grade or star rating. Instead each inspection report says whether the home was compliant with each regulation checked. This guide explains how to read those reports.

What HIQA does

• Registers every nursing home (a “designated centre for older people”) for 3 years at a time, with conditions such as the maximum number of residents.
• Inspects homes, most often unannounced, against the regulations for designated centres for older people and HIQA’s national standards.
• Publishes the reports on hiqa.ie, usually a few months after the inspection.
• Takes action where homes fall short, from requiring a compliance plan to attaching conditions or, rarely, cancelling registration.

How to read an inspection report

Reports look at two areas: capacity and capability (how well the home is led and managed) and quality and safety (the care residents receive). For each regulation inspected, the inspector gives one of three judgments:

Read the summary at the start of the report, then the residents’ own views, which inspectors record. Look for patterns across the last two or three reports rather than one bad day: repeated “not compliant” judgments on staffing, governance, infection control or fire safety are a warning sign.

Questions to ask a home about its report

• What did the last inspection find, and what has changed since?
• Has the home completed its compliance plan?
• Are there any conditions on its registration?
• How many staff are on duty during the day and at night, and how many are nurses?

Where to find reports

Each nursing home’s page in our Ireland nursing home directory shows the date of its latest HIQA inspection and links straight to its reports on hiqa.ie. You can also compare homes by county, with their size and weekly Fair Deal price.

Related guides

Fair Deal explained · Nursing home costs in Ireland · Choosing a nursing home in Ireland

Reviewed by The Care Panel team on 28 October 2026. This guide is general information about care in England, not legal, medical or financial advice. Rules and rates change; check with your council or an adviser before making decisions.