The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn (QEH) is celebrating achievement this week as it announces their Anaesthetic Department has been awarded the Royal College of Anaesthetists Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA).
The QEH is one of a small number of hospitals to receive this increasingly sought-after accolade. The ACSA is a voluntary process which sees the anaesthetics team review and assess all elements of their service to look for ways to improve services for patients and ensure the smooth running of the department.
The QEH team conducted a self-governed review of all their services and facilities, both patient-facing and behind the scenes. They identified improvements and implemented a range of new initiatives before applying to the Royal College of Anaesthetists to assess the department against the wide criteria for the ASCA.
Alistair Steel, Consultant Anaesthetist, has spearheaded the work at the QEH. Alistair said: “We are thrilled to receive our ACSA – and this is tremendous recognition of the work undertaken by the entire Anaesthetic team here at the QEH. It also recognises the hard work and support of our colleagues – our Operating Department Practitioners, Theatre Nurses, Pain Team, Theatre Orderlies and Hospital Managers, among many others.
“This is the culmination of a long journey to accreditation, whilst working through the COVID pandemic. As a result of the reviews we’ve undertaken, we have implemented a range of new initiatives, for example installing a new alert system which has vastly improved our department’s emergency support and response times.”
Dr Satya Francis, Royal College of Anaesthetists Council Member, representing the Royal College of Anaesthetists at the plaque presentation said: “I would like to offer my personal congratulations to the entire anaesthetic department on achieving ACSA accreditation. It is very impressive to see the commitment and approach of the whole department to sustaining their standards. They have demonstrated their ability and passion for providing the best possible care for their patients.
“Patient safety is at the heart of what we do as a Medical Royal College. The quality improvement demonstrated during the accreditation process has helped the department manage the immense tasks presented to them by COVID-19 and the resumption of normal services.
“It was impressive to see the innovative practices taking place at the hospital, and the excellent commitment from all staff during the process. As well as meeting the standards, the department demonstrated many areas of excellent advanced practice that have now been highlighted for sharing through the ACSA network.”
Dr Govindan Raghuraman, Acting Medical Director, added: “This accreditation helps us stand out as a centre of excellence in anaesthesia. It’s a fantastic achievement for this department and puts the QEH on the map as a place to work in this field. Congratulations to the whole team for their hard work and dedication.”
The Royal College of Anaesthetists ASCA is a four-year accreditation and is welcomed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
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