COMMITTEE REPORTS Facilitating compliance

Quality and Patient Safety Committee report

The Quality and Patient Safety Committee (QPSC) was established in 2009. The aim of the Committee is to assist members to achieve compliance with the regulations applicable to dental practices. The Committee intends to achieve this aim by: n identifying the statutory obligations applicable to dentists in Ireland; n identifying and developing protocols for quality and patient safety; n identifying and developing clinical audit and self-assessment; n determining and supporting educational programmes; and, n engaging with the relevant authorities and programmes.

The Committee aims to ensure that its advice is reasonable, practical and based on the best available evidence. The advice is prepared following a review of international and national standards, and is subject to in-depth assessment by the Committee. The QPSC met five times during 2022 with Covid-19, HIQA and sustainability sub-committees meeting an additional five times. The items produced and presented by the Committee throughout the year were numerous and included: n Minamata advice leaflet; n dental water lines; n sustainable dentistry survey; n Annual Conference presentations; n radiology audit; and, n radon risk assessment.

The level of work involved in producing these items bears testament to the hard work, professionalism and dedication of the QPSC Committee. Currently the Committee consists of Drs Nick Armstrong, Kieran O’Connor, Evelyn Connolly, Eamon Croke, Michaela Dalton, Louise Dockry, Ahmed Kahatab, Gabrielle O’Donoghue, Maria O’Grady, James Tarpey, and Gerald O’Connor (Chair).

One of the larger undertakings by the Committee was an in-depth review of all QPSC documents on the ‘Best Practice’ section of the IDA website in 2022. Each document was checked for errors and referenced against current legislative changes to ensure accuracy. This stewardship of policy and advisory documents is vital and will remain a permanent item on our agenda going forward.

Covid-19 remained an ongoing concern for the Committee and its members. In January of last year we liaised with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in drafting updated guidelines for the dental sector. We will continue to advise on any further changes in hand with the HPSC in the coming year. Given the publication of recent HIQA inspection reports, it is unsurprising that radiology remains a prime focus of the Committee. We will continue to produce documents that will assist our members in complying with regulations and we will actively liaise with HIQA in matters pertaining to dental radiation.

Throughout the QPSC’s history, our members have participated in Health and Safety Authority (HSA) steering groups, contributed to publications for the Irish Medicines Board, and met frequently with HIQA, council environmental agencies, the Department of Health and the HSE to discuss and mitigate compliance issues. Members continued to engage in these roles throughout the year. Towards the end of 2022, Dr Maria O’Grady was nominated by the IDA to HIQA’s Medical Exposure to Ionising Radiation Expert Advisory Group. In addition, the Committee is formally meeting with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) to discuss the dental implications of the Medical Devices Directive. And finally, our newest member Dr Kieran O’Connor is the IDA representative to the CED and will be a valuable asset with specific insight into EU guidance and its implementation.

Dr Gerald O’Connor QPS Committee Chair