The anaesthetic department at Dorset County Hospital have been recognised for providing the highest quality care to local patients.
The hospital received the prestigious Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) from the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) at a ceremony on 20 April attended by staff, patients and hospital managers.
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ACSA is the RCoA’s peer-reviewed scheme which promotes quality improvement and the highest standards of anaesthetic service. To receive accreditation, departments are expected to demonstrate a high standard in areas such as patient experience, patient safety and clinical leadership.
Dorset County Hospital is the main provider of acute hospital services to a population of approximately 250,000 living within Weymouth, Portland, West Dorset, North Dorset and Purbeck. The hospital’s anaesthetic department is the fifth in the south of England and the nineteenth in the UK to receive the accreditation.
Dr Jonathan Chambers, Consultant Anaesthetist and ACSA lead at the Dorset County Hospital, said: “Working through the ACSA process has been a positive experience for our whole department. It has enabled us to ensure that the high quality anaesthetic service developed over many years, by colleagues past and present, remains safe, efficient and patient-centred.
“We are proud to receive the ACSA recognition. The process of peer review and external scrutiny has provided the platform for our multidisciplinary theatre team to demonstrate their commitment to delivering high standards of care. We look forward to our continued engagement with the accreditation process.”
Dr Liam Brennan, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, said: “Patient safety is at the heart of ACSA, and the achievement and maintenance of ACSA’s robust standards encourage departments to constantly improve the care they provide. I would like to personally congratulate the anaesthetists at Dorset County Hospital for their commitment to providing the best possible care for their patients.”
NHS England’s National Medical Director, Professor Steve Powis, said: “I am delighted to see the team at Dorset County Hospital being recognised for providing high quality care to patients. I would encourage medical directors to consider going through this accreditation process as it will help more hospitals provide even higher quality patient care.”