Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI)
HEI will make announced and unannounced inspections of every acute hospital in Scotland at least once 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.
Providing assurance and supporting improvement
We aim to help NHSScotland reduce patient infection risks through this inspection programme.
We aim to assure the public, NHS boards and the Scottish Government that:
- there are high healthcare associated infection (HAI) standards in acute hospitals
- any HAI shortfalls or issues are being tackled.
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 QIS to deliver its arrangements.
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 work with a number of internal and external key stakeholders. These stakeholders are listed in our key stakeholders flowchart.
Key stakeholders flowchart (PDF, 162K, 45secs)
We will publish our inspection findings and a produce a National Overview report each year.
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The HEI team
The HEI team is led by, Susan Brimelow, Chief Inspector. The team includes:
- 3 Regional Inspectors
- 6 Associate Inspectors
- 11 Associate Inspectors (Patient Focus)
- 1 Team Manager
- 1 Programme Manager
- 3 Project Officers
- 2 Project Administrators
- 1 PA to the Chief Inspector/Unit Support Administrator.
Get more information
- Tracy Walker, 0131 623 4731
- Anne Hanley, 0131 623 4313
Email our HEI team for more information on this project.
