ACSA accreditation for Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has been accredited under the prestigious Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) scheme demonstrating their commitment to patient safety and excellence of care.  

ACSA is the RCoA’s peer-reviewed scheme that promotes quality improvement and the highest standards of anaesthetic service. To receive accreditation, departments are expected to demonstrate high standards in areas such as patient experience, patient safety and clinical leadership. 

Dr Julie Kuzhively, ACSA Lead Clinical Reviewer, said: 

“The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Anaesthetic Department is very pleased to have received ACSA recognition for the Royal Berkshire Hospital and the West Berkshire Community Hospital sites. We have worked very hard to achieve all the required national standards for accreditation and this process acknowledges all the fantastic work done, on a day-to-day basis by the department. There has been immense dedication from individual consultant anaesthetists, resident doctors, our nursing and theatre staff, as well as our managers, towards the accreditation process. We want to continue to maintain our high standards of care in the future, as well as further develop and improve our processes to provide the best care for our patients.”

Dr Rachel Smith, Lead Reviewer, said:

“We are delighted to see the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust achieve ACSA accreditation. The commitment of their team to quality improvement is exemplary, sometimes conjuring innovative solutions to challenges. A departmental focus on health and wellbeing is reflected in measures ranging from a communal space in the department with coffee provided, to secure bike storage with lockers and showers, to the option to choose a preferred working pattern to suit lifestyle preferences. As a department they are a cohesive and supportive group who learn from the problems they have faced, to deliver the best and safest anaesthetic care possible. Well done!”

Pauline Elliott, Lay Reviewer, said:

“Congratulations to the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust on achieving ACSA accreditation. I was especially pleased to hear strong examples of patient focus in practice during the Review Team’s visit. These included liaison with local faith groups about patient care and advance care planning centred on shared decision-making throughout the perioperative process. The West Berkshire Community Hospital is rightly proud of its laudable record of only one patient complaint in 20 years.”

Dr Elisa Bertoja, Royal College of Anaesthetists Council Member, 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.”