The Critical Care Department at the University Hospital of Wales Achieves Prestigious Accreditation
The Critical Care Department (CCD) at the University Hospital of Wales has achieved a remarkable milestone by securing Quality Assurance accreditation from the British Society of Echocardiography under its Echocardiography Quality Framework.
Echocardiographs play a vital role in critical care, as they help to ensure the Health Board’s most unwell patients have effective access to accurate diagnosis and monitoring of certain conditions.
To achieve this accreditation, the Critical Care team established minimum standards for patient reporting and reviews, conducts regular audits and peer reviews for collaborative improvement and has invested in equipment and infrastructure to ensure sustainability. The unit has also increased the number of colleagues trained in echocardiography proficiency from five to 17, an increase of 240%.
As the only Critical Care Unit in Wales, and one of only a select few in the UK, to achieve this accreditation, this demonstrates the Health Board’s commitment to providing the highest quality care to its patients, but also to the continued professional development of clinical colleagues.
Dr Chris Gough, Intensive Care Consultant, commented: “This accreditation is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire team within Critical Care. We recognise the clinical importance of undertaking echocardiography and what this means for the care we deliver to our patients and this accolade underpins our commitment to providing the highest quality care to ensure the best possible outcomes for our patients.”
Bex Parsons, Lead Clinical Echo Physiologist for Critical Care, said: “This achievement is incredible for a Critical Care Department, which works very differently from an outpatient clinic. We have had to demonstrate that our practice is really above and beyond standard care, and we are delivering an exceptional service for our patients, which I am pleased to say we have achieved."
The British Society of Echocardiography's Echocardiography Quality Framework is a comprehensive, patient-centred approach to quality assurance and continuous service improvement.