Accreditation is the registering of a hospital or health service by an external inspection agency, to certify that the hospital or health service has met a series of Australian practice guidelines. The granting of the certificate of accreditation of the hospital or health care provider demonstrates that the organisation is meeting industry and legislated standards of care, and thus it is a major factor in continued operation and public funding.
Accreditation covers a variety of areas:
Each member of staff has a role to play in ensuring quality control in his or her daily work practices that meet the accreditation standards and requirements of the organisation.
Most organisations have a quality assurance officer who will assist staff to understand and implement the standards of practice that are outlined in the accreditation manual.
Accreditation - NATA
www.nata.asn.au
Standards and quality improvement processes in health and community services: A review of the literature (PDF)
www.latrobe.edu.au/qic/Lit%20review.pdf
Aged care accreditation standards
www.accreditation.aust.com/accreditation/standards.html
Australian Council on healthcare standards
www.achs.org.au
Home and community care standards
www.hacc.health.gov.au/service.htm
National standards and Codes of practice
www.nohsc.gov.au
National Health and Medical Research Council guidelines for infection control in health care settings (PDF)
www.health.gov.au/nhmrc/publications/pdf/ic6.pdf
Quality management policy and practice
www.ogc.gov.uk/sdtoolkit/reference/deliverylifecycle/quality_mgmt.html
www.tafe.swin.edu.au/sps/documents/Quality/Procedures/QTAFE1.pdf (PDF)
International standards on management
www.iso.ch/iso/en/iso9000-14000/iso9000/selection_use/iso9000family.html
| Areas | Expected outcomes |
|---|---|
| Management and leadership | All staff have a bi-monthly meeting where the director speaks on current issues affecting the organisation. Management has an open door attitude where staff know they can talk to them about any issue at a time suitable to them both. Staff are encouraged to undertake professional development and training to improve their career opportunities in management. |
| Planning | All staff are working towards achieving the goals of the organisation’s strategic plan. There are monthly meetings of all staff to discuss how they are implementing the 4 aspects of the strategic plan. |
| Quality improvement and evaluation | All tasks are monitored and assessed on a 6 monthly basis, to identify opportunities for improvements to work practices. Quality improvement representatives are nominated from staff in each area and encouraged to go to their representative with any suggestions. |
| Training and development | Staff undergo an annual performance appraisal to identify opportunities for training and development and discuss any issues relating to their on the job performance. Staff are given professional development opportunities regularly to further their work skills, and life skill courses are advertised on the intranet. |
| Work and its environment | The work environment is governed by the Occupational Health and Safety policy to ensure a safe workplace and environment for all staff and clients. Equal opportunity, equity and diversity and anti-harassment policies ensure the workplace is free from any form of discrimination. |
| Consumer rights | All customer complaints are investigated and a satisfactory outcome achieved for all parties. Records are kept and information is analysed to identify opportunities for quality improvement. |
| Consumer and community participation | Continual assessment of customer needs through surveys and questionnaires ensures the organisation is aware of community opinion regarding their service. |