ACSA re-accreditation for Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been re-accredited under the prestigious Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) scheme demonstrating their commitment to patient safety and excellence of care.  

ACSA is the RCoA’s peer-reviewed scheme that promotes quality improvement and the highest standards of anaesthetic service. To receive accreditation, departments are expected to demonstrate high standards in areas such as patient experience, patient safety and clinical leadership. 

Dr Sue Moss, ACSA Lead Clinical Reviewer, said: 

“Congratulations to Chester in achieving ACSA reaccreditation. I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of everyone who was involved in this process; it was a noticeable team effort well led by Mary Cardwell, the ACSA lead. The ACSA team were impressed by how cohesive, forward thinking and dynamic the Chester Anaesthetic Department are. They have successfully implemented an electronic anaesthetic record as part of the Trusts EPR system and it was interesting to understand the challenges but benefits this has brought. Chester have evidenced a clear commitment to patient safety and quality improvement whilst supporting and developing their resident doctors and ensuring the wellbeing of their team. Well done."

Ann Shearer, Lay Reviewer, said:

“I liked the patient centred approach of the anaesthetic department at the Countess of Chester Hospital. An example of this is the change to ‘sip til send’ after reviewing feedback obtained from patients. This allows patients to remain hydrated until their operation time, making their pre op time more comfortable and aiding post op recovery.”

Dr Sri Gummaraju, Royal College of Anaesthetists Council Member, said:  

“I would like to offer my personal congratulations to the entire anaesthetic department on achieving ACSA accreditation. It is very impressive to see the commitment and approach of the whole department to sustaining their standards. They have demonstrated their ability and passion for providing the best possible care for their patients. 

“Patient safety is at the heart of what we do as a Medical Royal College. The quality improvement demonstrated during the accreditation process has helped the department manage the immense tasks presented to them by COVID-19 and the resumption of normal services.    

“It was impressive to see the innovative practices taking place at the hospital, and the excellent commitment from all staff during the process. As well as meeting the standards, the department demonstrated many areas of excellent advanced practice that have now been highlighted for sharing through the ACSA network.”