Worcestershire anaesthetists rewarded for high quality patient care

Anaesthetists at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust 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 9 January.

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 Karen Kerr, Consultant Anaesthetist, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said:

“Our engagement with the ACSA process has been both fulfilling and rewarding for the whole department and beyond. “We are proud and delighted to receive ACSA accreditation which reflects our determination to improve and develop our department’s approach to quality and safety in patient care.

“The challenge has been met by a group of extremely hardworking, dedicated colleagues whose extraordinary efforts have enabled us to expand and improve our service with significant benefits for the Trust as a whole.

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.

“The review team were particularly impressed with how the anaesthetic  department worked to unify policies and practice across three diverse hospital sites whilst retaining excellent flexibility to match the needs of patients.

“As well as meeting the standards, the department demonstrated many areas of excellent innovative practice that have now been highlighted for sharing through the ACSA network.”