To ask the Minister of Health to detail whether (i) any assessment has been made of whether current inspection, regulation and oversight arrangements provide sufficient assurance that individuals receiving care in hospital, learning disability, mental health and residential care settings are treated with dignity, respect and person-centred care; and (ii) any changes are planned in light of the findings of the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Public Inquiry.

My Department keeps under continuous review the effectiveness of inspection, regulation and oversight arrangements across Health and Social Care services, including hospital, learning disability, mental health and residential care settings. Assurance is derived from a range of sources, including Health and Social Care Trust governance arrangements, safeguarding processes, Serious Adverse Incident (SAI) reporting, Early Alert notifications, complaints, service-user feedback, and the independent inspection and regulatory functions of the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).

The current regulatory framework places a strong emphasis on person-centred, safe and compassionate care, with Department of Health standards requiring services to treat individuals with dignity, respect and compassion and to involve them as partners in decisions about their care.

RQIA’s inspection processes explicitly test these principles by examining care practices, staff interactions and organisational culture, and by directly gathering feedback from patients, residents, families, staff and visiting professionals. Findings are reported publicly, with providers required to address any areas of concern.

In light of the findings of the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry (MAHI), there is a continued and enhanced focus across the regulatory system on strengthening assurance around the experiences of people receiving care, particularly in learning disability and mental health settings.

The RQIA Authority is giving careful consideration to the recommendations made within the MAHI Report that directly relate to the functions and processes of RQIA, and also those where RQIA can contribute towards progressing recommendations across the wider system. The Authority is considering the details at its forthcoming meeting in early July 2026 and intends setting out its planned actions a short time thereafter, ensuring that it makes progress promptly in response to the report's conclusions and recommendations.

My Department is also examining the MAHI report and its recommendations in detail. Work has begun on some of the recommendations which will continue at pace. As some of these have financial implications, they will need detailed consideration on how to move forward. We will also progress work to identify interfaces or alignment between the Inquiry’s recommendations and other work that is already being progressed by my Department.