National accreditation yields excellent results
15 April 2024
Central Gippsland Health (CGH) has been under the spotlight over the past 12 months, having undergone a series of individual accreditation assessments across its network of services.
One of those assessments was for Wilson Lodge Aged Care. The facility was assessed against the Aged Care Quality Standards and was found by the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to have met every one of the 42 standards, and is recommended for re-accreditation.
CGH Chief Executive Officer, Mark Dykgraaf, congratulated Aged Care Services Manager at Wilson Lodge, Lachlan Hardy, and his team for their dedication and hard work in achieving this excellent result.
In fact, with strong support from staff and positive feedback from patients, residents and families, CGH had excellent accreditation results across the network of services that were assessed including Laurina Lodge (Heyfield), Stretton Park (Maffra) and McDonald Wing (Maffra), community health services and a hospital-wide accreditation at the Sale campus.
“CGH welcomes the accreditation assessments as an opportunity to review compliance and identify areas for focussed improvement,” Mr Dykgraaf explained. “All assessments are undertaken by an independent assessor as unannounced or with only one day’s notice. It’s often challenging but it’s a process that keeps us “on our toes” and that’s why our results are so encouraging.”
CGH was assessed against eight National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) standards; Clinical Governance, Partnering with Consumers, Preventing and Controlling Infections, Medication Safety, Comprehensive Care, Communicating for Safety, Blood Management and Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration.
“Making changes to meet the NSQHS Standards involves the entire organisation,” Mr Dykgraaf said. “And given our unique structure of being both a sub-regional and an integrated health service, this is no mean feat.”
CGH is the major provider of health and aged care services in the Wellington Shire providing a broad range of primary, secondary and acute services, including a near comprehensive range of Home and Community Care services, through to adult intensive, coronary care and level 4 neonatal care.
Assessors examine evidence of actual performance by reviewing things like hospital performance data, documentation and records, observing clinical practice, testing high-risk scenarios and conducting interviews with staff and patients.
“Participation in accreditation programs contributes to continuous improvement in patient outcomes, as well as increasing consumer and workforce satisfaction,” Mr Dykgraaf said. “Being accredited means safety and quality systems that support safe and good quality care are in place.”
ENDS
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