An independent assessment of the Safety Culture within Nua Healthcare Services in November 2021 concluded that:
“Nua was assessed as having a range of strengths […] with the overall level of risk associated with Nua’s operations as 'Low' with a corresponding safety culture which, although currently assessed as being at the top end of 'Proactive', is on the cusp of becoming Generative.”
“Nua personnel were readily able to demonstrate and discuss how they manage risks at all stages and across all areas of their business. Importantly, they demonstrated how the risks to Service Users and Residents are carefully balanced with the risks to Nua personnel.”
Furthermore, the assessment found that:
We believe robust governance structures and processes underpinned by knowledge and communication at Nua Healthcare foster good outcomes.
Notwithstanding legislative and best practice business process requirements, Nua’s approach to Leadership, Governance and Management has always been of simplistic process design and good two-way communication throughout the organisational structure.
Our policies and standardised ways of working facilitate the effective collection, analysis and communication of Quality, Safety, Operational and Clinical KPI’s from team member to team member, at predetermined daily, weekly and monthly intervals.
Our teams are clear on 'What', 'Why' and 'When' they do each job-specific task, and each team member is supported through an empowered line management structure that utilises a 'Plan', 'Do', 'Check' Act' approach towards problem-solving and thereafter, communicate any serious matters through the appropriate forums right up to Board of Director level.
Compliance with National Standards and associated Acts and Regulation is paramount to Nua Healthcare. We understand the importance of adherence to the same in pursuing excellence in service delivery. Therefore, we emphasise the design, implementation, and audit of our ways of working and, as necessary, the timely fulfilment of corrective action plans and sharing of knowledge across our service.
Regular audits are carried out to assess, evaluate, and improve the provision of services in a systematic way, in order to achieve better outcomes for the people who avail of our services.
Nua’s commitment to quality and safety includes a dedicated quality and safety team that fulfil, as standard, eleven (11) audits per service every six (6) months as part of a regulatory schedule.
Further out of schedule audits and quality and safety ‘support visits’ are either triggered by policy, negative performances against quality and safety key performance indicators (KPIs), issues or concerns raised at weekly Senior Management Governance Meetings, internal escalations, or in the event of an adverse incident.
Internal Auditors are suitably qualified, trained, and experienced subject-matter experts in their relevant fields, who have an in-depth working knowledge of Nua's systems and ways of working.
As standard, we fulfil:
We use online quality auditing and planning software to:
We communicate through the following forums/by the following means:
The following data demonstrates Nua's commitment to quality. Individual service reports can be freely obtained at all times through the HIQA or MHC websites.