First of Its Kind Accreditation Sets New Standard for Care in Ireland

Pictured: The Clinical Immunology team marking World Primary Immunodeficiency Week

Dublin, 22 April 2026 - To coincide with Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) Week 2026, St James’s Hospital has announced that it has become the first healthcare organisation outside the United Kingdom to achieve Quality in Primary Immunodeficiency Services (QPIDS) accreditation, marking a significant milestone for immunology services in Ireland and internationally.

PI Week is an annual global initiative aimed at raising awareness of primary immunodeficiency (PI) disorders. PI disorders are conditions people are usually born with that weaken their immune system. This means their body finds it harder to fight everyday infections, so they may get sick more often, be ill for longer, or develop complications from infections most people would recover from easily. PI Week raises greater awareness of the importance of timely diagnosis, the need for access to specialist care, and the ongoing support required for people living with these complex conditions.

QPIDS accreditation is a rigorous, independent quality assurance process that evaluates how services deliver care for people living with immunodeficiency disorders. As part of the inspection, external reviewers carefully assessed clinical practice at St James’s Hospital, examined diagnostic and treatment pathways and spoke directly with patients about their experience of care.

The accreditation confirms that the service meets demanding international standards for the diagnosis and management of complex immunodeficiency disorders. It provides objective assurance that patients are diagnosed accurately, treated in line with best international practice, and that patient safety is a core priority at every stage of care.

Importantly, QPIDS accreditation is not a once off achievement. It includes ongoing annual reviews, supporting continuous oversight, and driving continued improvements in the quality and safety of the service over time.

For people living with immunodeficiency disorders and their families, attending a QPIDS accredited service provides reassurance that their care meets recognised international standards. It signals a strong focus on patient safety and patient experience and confirms that care delivered at St James’s Hospital is directly comparable with that provided by leading immunology centres across the UK.

Professor Niall Conlon, Consultant Clinical Immunologist at St James’s Hospital, said: “Marking this achievement during PI Week is particularly meaningful. By becoming the first service outside the UK to successfully undergo inspection and achieve QPIDS accreditation, St James’s Hospital has set a new benchmark for immunodeficiency care in Ireland and beyond.”

While QPIDS accreditation is not a requirement for services in Ireland, St James’s Hospital chose to pursue it to demonstrate openly and objectively that its immunology service is aligned with international best practice. Announcing this achievement during PI Week reflects the hospital’s commitment to transparency, quality improvement and raising awareness of immunodeficiency disorders and the specialist care required to manage them.

For further information, please contact:

Caoimhe Nic Allabroin
Head of Communications 
St James’s Hospital 
Communications@stjames.ie / 01 415 1902