Accreditation
Accreditation is a process which provides assurance to the community that healthcare services meet the expected standards for safety and quality. It is a formal program where trained independent reviewers assess evidence of implementation for specified standards.
WDHS take part in a variety of accreditation processes, but the main clinical compliance assessments fall under the National Safety and Quality in Health Service Standards, the Aged Care Quality Standards and the NDIS Practice Standards. WDHS participates in other accreditation programs as determined by the Board and current legislation.
Our community can feel secure in knowing that WDHS is fully accredited, which means that all services including acute, residential care and home based services have been assessed by independent assessors, successfully meeting all of the expected standards. The accreditation process provides us with opportunities to make quality improvements in any aspect of care identified.
During the accreditation process a team of assessors will conduct a detailed assessment of the health service’s compliance against each of the standards. Members of the team will talk with staff, patients, residents, carers and community representatives. They will review the documentation and observe the day to day functions of the health service.
On a three year cycle, WDHS is assessed against the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards Second Edition Version 2. Accreditation is a mandatory process for all public acute health services, providers of residential aged care and community services. WDHS was assessed in November 2022 for compliance with the NSQHS Standards.
Acute Care Services
The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) is the agency that assesses our acute and community services. A team from ACHS attend a site audit and assess our compliance against the National Safety and Health Service Standards which comprises of 8 standards of 148 actions. ACHS assessors address gaps identified in compliance against the NSQHSS which include the areas of Clinical Governance, Partnering with Consumers, Infection Prevention and Control, Medication Management, Mental Health, Cognitive Impairment, Health Literacy and Clinical Deterioration. The NSQHSS have also set actions which must be met related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. From July 2023 the structure of visits from ACHS will change from a formal, notified schedule to a short notice assessment, meaning WDHS will received 24-48 hours’ notice of the assessors’ arrival.
Aged Care Services
WDHS is mandated to comply with the National Aged Care Quality Standards. This is achieved through unannounced assessment visits, conducted by assessors from the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission. The Aged Care Quality Standards are comprised of actions under 8 standards, with a particular focus on resident choice and inclusion. Within the Aged Care assessment visits, assessors will review clinical documentation, behaviour support plans and continuous improvement plans. The Birches successfully achieved reaccreditation under all 8 standards Valley View Nursing Home and Wannon Court Hostel in 2022. The Grange Residential Aged Care, Penshurst Nursing Home and Kolor Lodge Residential Aged Care Facilities are awaiting their accreditation assessment in 2023.