HIQA inspectors have given the thumbs-up to a private dental practice and a diagnostics medical facility in Galway following announced inspections.

The two were among 22 inspection reports published by Health Information and Quality Authority assessing compliance with medical exposure to ionising radiation regulations.

Medical exposure to ionising radiation is when radiation is used as part of diagnosis such as an X-ray or computed tomography (CT) scan, or the use of radiotherapy as part of cancer treatment.

The regulations also include medical exposures used as part of a dental assessment, such as dental X-ray.

The radiotherapy and radiology departments of University Hospital Galway, run by the HSE, were inspected by HIQA in May.

Inspectors found that UHG was not compliant in one of the 14 areas of regulation inspected.

This related to procedure, and they found that it “did not have a robust governance system in place for the management of written policies, procedures and protocols”.

Management agreed to prioritise compliance, and to rectify ‘low risk’ issues identified where UHG was ‘substantially compliant’ with regulations.

“Overall, notwithstanding the areas for improvement identified over the course of the inspection, inspectors were assured that the undertaking had systems in place to ensure appropriate governance and oversight of the delivery of medical exposures” at the hospital, HIQA said.

Meanwhile, HIQA said it inspected Galway Orthodontics on Flood Street in the city because it did not return a self-assessment questionnaire.

It took place in May and was compliant or substantially compliant in eleven of the regulations inspected.

“Overall, despite some areas for improvement, the inspector found that the undertaking demonstrated good levels of compliance with the regulations considered on the day of the inspection,” HIQA concluded.

The practice gave an undertaking to improve the substantially compliant areas, which HIQA described ‘low risk’.