Anaesthetic teams become one of only 50 in UK to receive prestigious accreditation for patient care
Teams at both University Hospitals of Derby and Burton's (UHDB) acute hospitals have been recognised nationally for providing the highest standards of care to patients when they are 'at their most vulnerable' as they undergo anaesthesia or sedation.
Colleagues at both Royal Derby Hospital and Queen's Hospital Burton have received Anaesthetic Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) from the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCA). This makes Queen's Hospital Burton one of only 50 sites in the country to be awarded ACSA, with Royal Derby Hospital becoming one of only 20 sites in the UK - and the first in the region - to be reaccredited after gaining initial recognition in 2018.
Anaesthetists work across all areas where patients require an anaesthetic or sedative and are an integral part of the teams responsible for carrying out surgical procedures for patients. When patients undergo procedures, anaesthetists, along with surgeons and theatre staff, ensure their overall wellbeing is maintained, as well as providing pain relieving drugs and other medicines to ensure patients stay sedated and comfortable.
Anaesthetists make up a large proportion of UHDB's medical workforce, accounting for around one in every six medical colleagues; They also provide support to patients during pre-op assessment appointments, in intensive and obstetric care, on our labour wards, and in acute pain clinics - meaning patients attending our hospitals for a range of appointments are benefitting from receiving the best possible anaesthetic care and support.
Dr Jonathan Burch, Consultant Anaesthetist and ACSA lead for Royal Derby Hospital, said the accreditation process was thorough, with the RCA assessing all aspects of the patient pathway, as well as processes and protocols for staff to ensure patients were in safe hands.
He explained: "When patients come in to have an operation, they can be anxious as they are putting their trust solely in us as clinicians, so it's vital that we demonstrate to them that we're doing everything to the highest standards to ensure their safety.
"We stay with patients from before their procedure while they are sedated, all the way through until their recovery. It's our role to ensure they stay as pain free as possible and under the correct amount of sedation throughout. We also ensure that they feel as comfortable as possible when they 'come around' post-operatively, as we are aware that anaesthesia can make you feel rather unwell."
"To achieve ACSA, every aspect of the patient journey was scrutinised, as every point has an impact on the patient themselves - from how accessible our protocols and clinical guidelines are to our criteria to ensure patients are safe to be discharged following their procedure.
"We're really pleased to have shown that we've maintained such a high standard, as this accreditation is recognised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and developed alongside National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - demonstrating our commitment to providing exceptional care to our patients and communities."
The teams demonstrated the highest standards of care to patients and evidenced delivery of national best practice to gain the prestigious accreditation, ensuring that when patients are sedated during their procedures, they are kept as safe as possible.
Dr Tendai Ramhewa Consultant Anaesthetist and ACSA lead at Queen's Hospital Burton, said gaining accreditation will go a long way in providing assurance to patients that they are receiving the very best care at a time when they would otherwise feel vulnerable.
He said: "We are really proud of gaining accreditation. This is a huge plus for both staff and patients and goes a long way to reassure all that we provide high quality care.
"The teams put in a lot of work to get us to this point. The work involved collating a lot of data, reviewing our peri-operative care pathways and streamlining them to ensure they are in accordance with the latest evidence-based care models.
"This was huge task which involved staff in different departments involved in peri-operative care. To see it confirmed by way of accreditation by the RCOA team is fantastic. It is reflective of how well we work together for the very best outcomes for our patients.”
As well as care for patients, support and development of colleagues at the Trust was also investigated as part of the accreditation process, which was highlighted as a particular strength.
Despite having only recently become accredited, the teams are already looking to the future, with preparations already underway to gain one single accreditation for the whole Trust with a view of achieving this in 2028 - with a key area of focus being the development of the next generation of anaesthetists.
Dr Burch added: "The work really does start now, as new standards will be introduced, technology and practice will grow and develop, so we have to be keeping up with and implementing all of this to ensure we can become reaccredited in five years' time.
"We are looking carefully at how we develop our trainees in terms of giving them good access to hands-on training, learning opportunities, as well as the facilities in our buildings to continue their career development.
"As well as helping in terms of growing future cohorts of anaesthetists, this accreditation also strengthens our position as a Trust to attract the brightest talent in the field to become part of UHDB."