Accreditation - Great news for our community

05 May 2022

In November last year, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) hosted an independent group of assessors from the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) to verify that we are meeting the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.

The expert assessment team came from all over Australia. Some of them visited and explored NALHN’s facilities in person, while, due to COVID-19, several others performed their assessment remotely, guided through the corridors and wards using iPads and video calling technology.

The process lasted for five days, during which time the assessors learned much about how we deliver healthcare and support the well-being of staff and our community. At NALHN, we always aim to exceed National Standards, so we were delighted to receive confirmation that we are performing very well.

The assessment panel was impressed with many aspects of our Network, including:

  • The robust governance processes and a strong culture of quality, risk and safety;
  • Best-practice policies, procedures and guidelines;
  • The welcoming environment and recognition of the importance of the cultural beliefs and practices of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people;
  • The strong understanding and commitment to the necessary social, ecological, political, commercial and cultural factors affecting the health and wellbeing of our communities;
  • The well-considered engagement strategy led by the Board, which reflects NALHN values;
  • The significant role and impact of consumers in redevelopment projects from start-up to completion;
  • The encouragement of consumer input into goal setting and care planning and delivery;
  • The focus on forging partnerships with other community care organisations.

The result was confirmation that we are doing things the right way, and all staff at NALHN should feel proud of their contributions.

For people living in the north and north-east, it means they can be confident that they are receiving the safest and highest quality health care.