Healthcare Group
For non-clinical professionals in healthcare. Fire safety, facilities management, and safety in healthcare environments.
About the Healthcare Group
This group is for professionals working in patient safety, healthcare engineering, fire safety in hospitals and nursing homes, infection control, and HIQA compliance across the Irish healthcare system.
The sector bridges clinical safety and engineering disciplines. Members include hospital safety officers, nursing home managers, healthcare engineers, and fire safety consultants serving healthcare clients. The overlap with the Fire Safety Group is deliberate and valuable.
Regulatory and Standards Framework
Health Act 2007 - Establishes HIQA and the regulatory framework for healthcare facilities in Ireland, including registration, inspection, and enforcement powers
HIQA National Standards for Residential Care Settings - Comprehensive standards for nursing homes and residential care settings, covering governance, safe care, health and wellbeing, and effective services
Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 - Fire safety obligations applying to healthcare premises, enforced by local fire authorities
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 - Workplace safety requirements applying to healthcare facilities as employers, covering risk assessment, safety management, and employee protection
Building Control Act 1990 and TGD-B - Building standards for healthcare premises, including means of escape, fire detection, and access for fire services
The Healthcare Group supports members in understanding and applying these requirements in their professional practice, ensuring that their work meets the standards expected by employers, regulators, and the public.
Key Focus Areas
The Healthcare Group organises its activities around six core focus areas that reflect the breadth of professional practice in this discipline.
Healthcare Fire Safety
Fire risk assessment, fire safety management, and regulatory compliance in hospitals, nursing homes, and designated centres. Addressing the unique challenges of protecting vulnerable patients who may be unable to self-evacuate.
Patient Evacuation Planning
Developing evacuation strategies for healthcare facilities, including progressive horizontal evacuation, personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs), and coordination with fire services and emergency response teams.
Healthcare Facilities Management
Managing building services, maintenance programmes, energy systems, and compliance in healthcare premises where service continuity and patient safety are paramount considerations.
HIQA Compliance
Supporting healthcare providers in meeting HIQA registration requirements, preparing for inspections, and maintaining compliance with the National Standards across all regulated aspects of care delivery.
Medical Equipment Management
Asset management, maintenance planning, and safety compliance for medical devices and clinical equipment in healthcare settings, ensuring availability and safety for patient care.
Infection Prevention and Environmental Safety
Contributing to infection prevention through ventilation management, water safety, waste management, and decontamination systems that protect patients, staff, and visitors.
Sector Committee and Governance
The Healthcare Group is led by a dedicated sector committee comprising experienced professionals drawn from across the discipline. Committee members represent consulting, in-house, regulatory, and academic perspectives, ensuring that the group's activities reflect the full breadth of professional practice.
The committee meets regularly to discuss emerging issues, plan CPD events, coordinate responses to government consultations, and set the strategic direction of the group. Committee meetings provide a forum for members to raise concerns, share intelligence on regulatory developments, and identify priority topics for professional development activities.
All group members are welcome to participate in committee activities. Active committee participation is recognised as a valuable form of CPD and develops leadership skills, professional networks, and a deeper understanding of the strategic context of your discipline. If you are interested in joining the committee, contact the group chair or the Institute at [email protected].
Professional Development and Career Progression
Healthcare professionals within IIESMS can hold membership at any core grade from Student through Fellow, and can also pursue specialist grades in the relevant discipline - for example, Certified Fire Engineer (CFEng.IIESMS) for healthcare fire safety specialists, or Certified Maintenance Engineer (CMaintEng.IIESMS) for healthcare facilities managers.
The multi-discipline nature of IIESMS is particularly advantageous for healthcare professionals, whose work typically spans multiple discipline areas. A healthcare fire safety officer may need expertise in fire risk assessment, building services, evacuation planning, and regulatory compliance - competences that draw on the Fire Safety, Facilities Management, and Safety and Health sector groups.
CPD Activities
The Healthcare Group organises CPD activities that address the specific challenges of healthcare settings:
- Technical seminars on current standards, legislation, and best practice
- Site visits and practical demonstrations relevant to the discipline
- Networking events connecting members with peers across Ireland
- Webinars on emerging topics, research findings, and regulatory updates
- Conference presentations and panel discussions
- Mentoring and knowledge-sharing with early-career members
Healthcare professionals can also count external CPD activities including HIQA seminars, healthcare conference attendance, academic study in healthcare management or engineering, and clinical safety training towards their IIESMS CPD requirements.
How to Get Involved
Join the Healthcare Group in four steps.
Join IIESMS
Apply for membership at the grade matching your qualifications and experience. Visit the memberships page to find the right grade for you.
Select Your Sector
Indicate your interest in the Healthcare Group during the application process or contact the Institute to be added to this sector group.
Attend Events
Participate in sector-specific events, webinars, and networking sessions organised by the Healthcare Group throughout the year.
Contribute
Join the committee, present at events, mentor early-career members, or contribute to policy submissions. Your expertise helps advance professional standards across Ireland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the IIESMS Healthcare Group
Any IIESMS member working in or serving the healthcare sector can join. This includes healthcare engineers, fire safety officers in healthcare, facilities managers in hospitals and nursing homes, safety officers in healthcare settings, and consultants providing services to healthcare providers.
The group supports members in understanding and complying with HIQA requirements. IIESMS is an independent professional body - HIQA is the state regulatory authority. The group provides CPD events and professional networking focused on meeting HIQA standards.
Nursing home fire safety is a major focus area. The group addresses PAS 79-1 fire risk assessment in care settings, evacuation planning for dependent patients, fire detection system compliance, and HIQA fire safety requirements.
Yes. Healthcare professionals can apply for certified grades in their primary discipline - for example, CFEng.IIESMS for fire safety specialists or CMaintEng.IIESMS for facilities managers. The certified grade is discipline-specific rather than sector-specific.
Yes. Hospital engineering, including building services management, medical equipment, energy management, and infrastructure maintenance in acute hospital settings, is within the scope of the Healthcare Group.
Contact the Healthcare Group chair or the Institute at [email protected] to express your interest in committee participation. Committee members help plan events, coordinate policy submissions, and set the group's strategic direction.
Healthcare-specific CPD includes HIQA compliance updates, healthcare fire safety seminars, patient evacuation planning, healthcare facilities management, and medical equipment safety. General safety and engineering CPD is also valuable.
Absolutely. The Healthcare Group is specifically for non-clinical professionals working in healthcare settings - engineers, fire safety officers, facilities managers, and safety professionals who support the safe operation of healthcare facilities.
Explore Other Sector Groups
IIESMS members can engage with multiple sector groups. Discover related disciplines and expand your professional network.
Fire Safety Group
Fire risk assessment, fire detection and alarm systems, passive fire protection, emergency response planning, and fire safety management.
Safety & Health Group
Occupational health and safety, risk assessment, safety management systems, workplace safety legislation, and compliance.
Industrial Engineering Group
Lean manufacturing, process improvement, operations management, supply chain optimisation, quality, and operational excellence.
Facilities Management Group
Building services, maintenance engineering, energy management, space planning, asset management, and facility operations.
Get involved
Join IIESMS and select the Healthcare Group. Core membership grades apply. Specialist fire safety grades are also relevant for healthcare fire safety work.