Current status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether any hospitals have not been inspected by Healthcare Improvement Scotland in the last three years, and, if so, what assessment it has made of any risks this poses to patient safety.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) has a duty to improve the quality of health care and its scrutiny activity, including its inspection programmes, is a key part of this.
Since November 2021, they have implemented a Safe Delivery of Care inspection methodology approach. The scope of inspections is intelligence-led and currently excludes certain facilities, such as smaller community hospitals. For hospitals within scope, HIS utilises a risk-based, data-informed prioritisation procedure to determine inspection frequency and specific service areas for review.
This broader approach is designed to provide independent assurance on the safety and quality of care delivered by NHS boards. The Safe Delivery of Care inspections are unannounced and are specifically designed to ensure an accurate and real-time assessment of care delivery.