ACSA re-accreditation for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS 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 Justine Elliott, ACSA Lead Clinical Reviewer, said: 

“As a department we feel proud to have achieved ACSA reaccreditation for the third time although this has not been an easy process due to developments within the trust.  The robust process for ensuring safe patient care continues as part of the college review that will allow us to continue to strive to provide high quality care to our patients."

Dr Kate Glennon, Lead Reviewer, said:

“It is with great pleasure that I offer heartfelt congratulations to the Plymouth Anaesthetic Department on obtaining their third cycle of ACSA Accreditation. They were one of the earliest adopters of the ACSA scheme, helping to lead the charge, and despite the challenges of maintaining the momentum of constant quality improvement over many years now, they have succeeded in hitting these demanding and dynamic benchmarks of excellence yet again. 

This takes hard work and a positive, resilient approach by anaesthetists. It wouldn’t be possible without anaesthesia fostering and nurturing relationships within the wider hospital teams, which we saw clear evidence of throughout our visit. 

The review team were aware throughout of the philosophy the department had regarding quality patient care and departmental staff well-being. The pre-operative and pre-habilitation services were notably impressive with novel initiatives such as the Parkinson’s disease bespoke bags and the nicotine replacement project. The ‘Outcomes of Care’ feedback to individual anaesthetists on their own practice, was appreciated by all, a sure sign of a department constantly striving to improve patients’ experience.”

Carol Pellowe, Lay Reviewer, said:

“It was a great pleasure to meet such an enthusiastic team, who clearly felt signed up to the process. They all supported the project 100% and had made considerable progress on their new plans. Congratulations all round!”

Dr Mike Swart, 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.”