Health service accreditation

Australia’s leading health-care accreditation agency has confirmed West Wimmera Health Service as a high-quality care provider by awarding it accreditation.

The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards, ACHS, issued the acknowledgement through National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards.

West Wimmera group acting chief executive Darren Welsh said it was important to achieve accreditation because it confirmed how a health-care organisation provided safe and quality care to patients.

“ACHS accreditation sends a clear message to the community that the service, its management and staff, are committed to excellence in health care with a strong and continuous focus on safety and quality,” he said.

“I commend all staff involved, as well as the consumers for their contribution, not only during the assessment and evaluation process, but also for their support and commitment to quality through continuing dialogue and improvement initiatives.

“The assessors noted that they were very impressed with the patient-centred care approach that all staff demonstrated and how overwhelmingly evident it was that all staff work together to provide safe, quality care.

“We are aware that both patients and consumers today demand high standards of health care and are pleased that West Wimmera Health Service has been recognised for meeting this expectation.”

Organisations must demonstrate during a three-year period how they have improved their services.

ACHS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation, which has international recognition for assessment and evaluation from the International Society for Quality in Health Care and accredits the majority of health-care organisations in Australia.