Ten NI hospitals will be inspected by the RQIA

A new programme of unannounced hospital inspections is to be rolled out across Northern Ireland.

The checks will be operated by the Regulation, Quality and Improvement Authority (RQIA), an independent health and social care regulator.

The inspections will identify what is not working well across 10 facilities.

The focus will mostly be on emergency services and what improvements are needed.

Ten acute hospitals, including Mater, Belfast City Hospital and the Royal Victoria in Belfast; the Ulster, Antrim, Causeway, Altnagelvin, Daisy Hill, Craigavon and the South West Hospital will be inspected.

The unannounced visits will happen in addition to the monitoring work already carried out by the team and the ongoing infection-prevention programme.

Glenn Houston, the RQIA's chief executive, said the checks would provide assurances to the public that a high quality of care is being provided.

"Everyone has the right to expect a high quality of care when they are in hospital," he said.

"Our inspectors will assess is care safe, is care effective, is care compassionate.

"There will be a rolling programme of inspections with each large acute hospital being inspected on a minimum of two occasions over three years."

The smaller acute hospitals will be inspected a minimum of once every three years.

The action follows a number of critical reports published last year by the regulators on unscheduled care at the Belfast Health Trust, including the Royal Victoria's emergency department and acute medical unit.

An inspection framework has now been developed to be rolled out across the hospital network.