Bermuda Hospitals Board Achieves Full Accreditation

Bermuda Hospitals Board today announces it has received confirmation from Accreditation Canada that it has maintained full accreditation. Accreditation measures BHB’s adherence to over 2,600 patient safety and quality standards, the same standards used by hospitals in Canada. This level of accreditation puts BHB alongside the top 20% of Canadian hospitals.

As announced in July, BHB had received a preliminary report following its five day survey, which noted that BHB met almost 98% of applicable standards. As is usual in a preliminary report, there were a small number of conditions BHB had to meet in order to achieve full Accreditation. These conditions have now been met.

In a letter sent by Accreditation Canada on Wednesday 7 November, Suzanne Larocque, the Chair of the Accreditation Decision Committee noted: “We are pleased to advise you that all of the required conditions have been met …Congratulations! This achievement demonstrates your organization’s determination and commitment to ongoing quality improvement. We applaud your leadership, staff and accreditation team members for their efforts and dedication to the provision of safe, quality health services.”

Chairman of the Board, Mr Herman Tucker, comments: “I am extremely pleased to see BHB achieve full accreditation. Accreditation ensures that quality improvement is an every-day focus. It gives us an international benchmark against which we can measure our progress, but more importantly it gives the community independent confirmation from an internationally-recognised body that the quality of our services is comparable to the best hospitals in Canada. ”

Deputy CEO, Mrs Venetta Symonds, comments: “We were very pleased to receive confirmation about our full accreditation status and congratulate our staff for their continued commitment to quality. The survey gives us a snapshot of where we are on our quality journey. We know that the hard work is not to maintain the standard, but to improve on it every day for the good of the Bermuda community. People in Bermuda have a right to know how the quality of their local service at BHB measures up to some of the best hospitals overseas. Achieving accreditation is also vital for us to continue to attract quality healthcare professionals.”

Bermuda Hospitals Board undergoes an accreditation survey every three years. All facilities are covered by the survey, including King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute and the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre. The accreditation surveyors check that BHB is following required organizational practices for patient safety. Examples include the safe administration of medication to patients, preventing falls, ensuring surgical checklists are in place and working to prevent the spread of hospital-acquired infection. They also review strategic planning, community relationships and governance.

Links to the Preliminary Accreditation Report and subsequent Letter to BHB can be found below.

Attachment 1: Letter from Accreditation Canada

Attachment 2: Accreditation Canada Preliminary Report

Archives