Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital anaesthetists rewarded for high quality patient care

Anaesthetists at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital have been recognised for providing the highest quality care to their patients. The prestigious Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) from the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) was presented at a ceremony on 15 November. 

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 Debbie O’Hare, ACSA Lead, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital said:

"Gaining ACSA accreditation is a fabulous achievement of which we are immensely proud. The ACSA standards provided a robust framework by which to compare our practice and the changes which we have introduced have had a positive impact upon the care which we provide for our patients and the support which we offer to our staff.

Success would not have been possible without the degree of engagement which we received from members of the anaesthetic department and the allied health professionals with whom we work and our drive towards a shared goal has improved communication between disciplines and we are a more cohesive department as a result. The scale of the changes which we have introduced would not have been possible without the backing of a national peer review programme and we are extremely grateful for the managerial support which we received to allow the necessary investment in training and resources at a time of great fiscal pressure"

Professor Ravi Mahajan, 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 richly deserved and demonstrates their commitment to providing the best possible care for their patients.

“Patient engagement is a key focus of what we do as a medical Royal College and it was impressive to see the many innovative practices taking place at the hospital which help them keep patients as the primary focus and deliver excellent flexibility to match patient’s needs.

“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 Jonathan Chambers, RCoA ACSA lead reviewer, said:

‘I would like to congratulate the anaesthetic department at Norfolk and Norwich on their ACSA accreditation. During the accreditation process they have demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering high quality anaesthetic care, a clear focus on patient safety and a desire to continue to develop the services they provide. The department has demonstrated excellence in a number of areas but in particular with their approach to innovation in the delivery of patient centred care.’