Dental Council signs agreement with health watchdog to improve safety oversight

The Dental Council and the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to formalise current and future co-operation between both organisations.

The MoU was signed by Angela Fitzgerald, chief executive of Hiqa, and David O’Flynn, registrar of the Dental Council.

The MoU is the first of its kind between the two organisations and aims to provide a mechanism to ensure “maximum effectiveness and efficiency” when performing their respective statutory functions.

It also intends to promote co-operation and consultation on mutual areas of strategic and operational interest; ensure collaboration on initiatives within each party’s statutory remit; and raise awareness with users of health and social care services and the general public on the statutory functions of Hiqa and the council.

‘As I opened our bedroom door, there was a neighbour going past. She had blood on her hands’

---

Ayrton Senna: Formula One lost its uncompromising, complex genius 30 years ago today

---

Misadventures in babysitting: ‘We trusted her. Here she was drinking and dancing as our son cried’

---

Ireland’s plan to return asylum seekers to UK raises fresh questions

---

The council is the regulatory body for dentistry, running a fitness to practise committee.

Mr O’Flynn said it was “essential” that public sector organisations “collaborate together mutually [on] important matters as this helps protect the public”.

“I welcome this agreement and it strengthens the working relationship between Hiqa and the Dental Council,” he said.

Ms Fitzgerald said she hoped that increased co-operation would support improved health and social care services for “the benefit of people using services, and in the interest of service-user safety and public protection”.

Hiqa regulates all service providers of medical exposures to ionising radiation in Ireland, including dentists.

Under this function, since 2019 inspections have been carried out to assess that X-rays are conducted in line with national regulatory requirements. Inspection reports for these are available on the Hiqa website.