ACSA re-accreditation for Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust has been re-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 Ian Shaw, ACSA Lead Clinical Reviewer, said: 

“The Anaesthetic departments across Frimley Health NHS Trust were a cohesive, well run unit. We were impressed at how they used IT across the group to enable efficient use of resources to optimise safe patient care, through the online pre-assessment triage system, the use of the Electronic Patient Record to the central monitoring of equipment checks. It gives the review team food for thought in our own units.”

Dr Simon Fenner, Lead Reviewer, said:

“Very well deserved congratulations on the ACSA reaccreditation of the anaesthesia services at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust. It was a pleasure and a delight to visit this geographically spread out trust providing anaesthesia services to three physically separate units. The endeavours of staff at all levels to integrate the anaesthesia services across the trust is noticeable. Staff that the ACSA team met at all the sites visited were welcoming and enthusiastic not only about the services they provide, but also the ways in which they might continue to make improvements in quality, safety and efficiency. Whilst patients are front and centre of healthcare, it was good to see and hear that staff welfare is seen as important too. Well done to all in the Frimley Health Trust Anaesthesia Teams.”

Stuart Burgess, Lay Reviewer, said:

“Congratulations to you all. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the hospitals, meeting very committed and highly motivated staff. As a lay person I was particularly interested in patient care and safety, and was very impressed in both areas. I had the opportunity to speak to many members of staff who gave me insights into the first rate support given to patients.

Very well done to you all who worked together to make a first class team.”

Dr Claire Shannon, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, 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.”