HSE to introduce revised incident management framework

The “wide variation” in meeting targets in relation to serious incident reporting was discussed by a HSE committee earlier this year.

The issue was discussed by the Executive’s performance committee in January.

According to minutes of the meeting, HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry said the reason for this variation is because a particular key performance indicator (KPI)  “is based on timeliness, which does not capture the quality of the reports”.

Dr Henry confirmed that a review of the HSE incident management framework (IMF) was currently underway.

This review would “consider the best way of measuring how serious incidents are reported”, and potential changes to KPIs.

A spokesperson for the HSE told the Medical Independent (MI) that the review of the IMF is at an advanced stage of development, following “extensive consultation” with service providers, patients, service users, and external stakeholders.

They said the review builds on the 2020 framework and reflects both changes in governance within the HSE and learning from implementation over recent years.

“An element of this work is the approach to performance measurement, including the KPI referenced by the committee,” the spokesperson told MI.

“The review is specifically considering how serious incident reporting is assessed, recognising that the current emphasis on timeliness does not fully capture the quality, depth, or complexity of reviews undertaken by services. This has contributed to variation in performance against targets.”

The spokesperson explained the updated framework is examining how best to achieve “a more balanced approach”, incorporating both timeliness and quality, and ensuring that performance metrics more accurately reflect effective incident management.

“This is intended to provide a more meaningful basis for assessing performance and help address the variation observed across services.”

The revised IMF, including any proposed changes to KPIs, is expected to be finalised and published in the third quarter of 2026.