Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI)
The Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI) was established in
April 2009 to undertake at least one announced and one unannounced
inspection to all acute hospitals across NHSScotland every 3
years.
Patients are at the heart of everything HEI does. Our work is
publicly accessible and measures the things that are important to
patients.
To find out
more about the work of the HEI, download our general information
leaflet.
Ensuring your hospital is safe and clean
Our focus is to reduce the Healthcare
Associated Infection (HAI) risk to patients through a rigorous
inspection framework. Our aims are to:
- provide public assurance and protection, to restore public
trust and confidence
- contribute to the prevention and control of HAI
- contribute to improvement in the healthcare environment
including infection control, cleanliness and hygiene and the
broader quality improvement agenda across NHSScotland.
Established in April 2009
The Scottish Government produced a 2008 consultation paper
‘Healthcare Associated Infections – Inspection, Assurance and
Public Confidence’. This paper planned for a new inspectorate based
in NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (now Healthcare
Improvement Scotland) to deliver its arrangements.
On Monday 6 June 2011 the Cabinet Secretary for Health,
Wellbeing and Cities Strategy announced that Healthcare Improvement
Scotland would carry out a programme of inspections of the services
provided for older people in acute hospitals in NHS Scotland.
HEI’s function is to:
- give NHS boards a proactive, assertive way to self-assess and
report evidence
- create a methodology for analysing NHS board evidence that can
validate, risk assess and identify targets for inspection
- carry out rigorous inspections, from NHS board level to
hospital level to ward/clinical level
- continuously monitor NHS board improvement plans
- make inspection findings public
- make recommendations to Scottish Ministers.
Key Stakeholders
The HEI engages with a number of key stakeholders. Details of
these can be found in the stakeholder document.
The HEI team
The HEI team is led by, Susan Brimelow, Chief Inspector. The
team includes:
- 3 Regional Inspectors
- 6 Associate Inspectors
- 19 Public Partners
- 1 Development Manager
- 1 Programme Manager
- 4 Project Officers
- 4 Administrative Officers
Get more information
- Tracy Birch, 0131 623 4731
Email our
HEI team for more information.
