The Coalition for Hospital Safety has announced the second certification of hospital safety and quality in Poland. A medical facility that meets the requirements will receive a certificate attesting to the highest European safety and quality standards. The certification document can be applied for by facilities that have signed the declaration , "Safe hospital, is a safe patient" and will fill in the application form available on the Coalition website until 14 April 2023.
It is estimated that 37 000 injuries related to the use of medical equipment by healthcare workers occur in Polish hospitals every year. Such accidents have serious consequences, including potential infectious diseases, high work absenteeism and longer recovery times for patients. Concerned about the safety of Polish medical staff, the Coalition for Hospital Safety was established in 2021, within the framework of which the 'Safe Hospital is Safe Patient' certification programme is being conducted. The 2nd edition of the programme is now underway - the experts have decided to extend the deadline for receiving applications by two weeks, until 14 April this year.
How do I get certified?
The awarding of the 'Safe Hospital is Safe Patient' certificate is decided by the Programme's Board of Experts, i.e. a team of practitioners, researchers, scientists and representatives of medical societies. This assessment involves checking the indicated formal conditions to be fulfilled and the completeness of the application form submitted by the participant. Medical facilities awarded by the Board of Experts will be informed of the certificate by telephone and email, by October 2023. The certificate will be issued for 2 years with the possibility of recertification after the stated deadline. The regulations for the entire process are available at https://deklaracja-bezpiecznyszpital.pl/
Proof of the highest standards
The certificate, signed by members of the Council of Experts of the Coalition for Hospital Safety, is a testimony to the high safety standards of establishments and a confirmation that efforts have been made to popularise practices that ensure the safest possible working environment for medical staff. At the same time, the certificate is recognition of the high qualifications of the staff and effective management. The quality of services provided depends, among other things, on the equipment used and the safety of medical staff and patients during medical procedures.
Summary of the first edition of the certification
The elimination of occupational safety hazards in medical facilities and hospital wards translates into the provision of adequate care for patients, as well as contributing to reduced testing, quarantine and staff absenteeism costs. Changing procedures that will affect staff safety has been a priority for the Hospital Safety Coalition from the beginning. In order to educate, as well as promote medical facilities that meet the highest quality and safety standards, the Council of Experts has developed a declaration document, which has already been signed by nearly 100 hospitals from all over Poland, as well as the 'Safe Hospital is Safe Patient' certification programme, the first edition of which has just come to an end. As many as 63 medical institutions from across Poland took part in the project to verify the certification criteria. In the first edition, the Certificate was awarded to 52 institutions. We hope that this will prove to be a milestone in the setting of safety and quality standards in Polish hospitals.
The main findings on safety in Polish hospitals showed that almost 1/3 of medical establishments indicated that safe equipment is a maximum of 15% in their case. More than half of the hospitals do not train staff on exposure to cytotoxic drugs including prevention and emergency procedures. Almost half of the hospitals use safety equipment in the preparation of a minimum of 50% drugs, with 16% hospitals not using safety equipment at all in the drug preparation procedure. More than half of the hospitals use closed systems for the administration of cytotoxic drugs in virtually all cases. In contrast, almost 30% hospitals do not use closed systems at all for cytotoxic drug preparation.
Safe Hospital is Safe Patient" report
The Expert Council of the Hospital Safety Coalition has developed a Safe Hospital is Safe Patient" report containing a summary of the first edition of the certification programme. This document is based on the activities of the Coalition for the Safety of Hospitals, which comprises specialists in various areas of medicine. The programme is under the patronage of the most important organisations and institutions of the medical sector in Poland, including the National Health Fund, the Patient Ombudsman, the Supreme Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, the Polish Federation of Hospitals and the Supreme Medical Chamber.
Board of Experts
The Council's mission is to maintain a dialogue with both hospitals and state institutions. The effective cooperation of all communities will allow actions to be taken to reduce the number of punctures and injuries and to raise safety standards in medical institutions. The Council is made up of eminent experts, national consultants, specialists from the medical environment, who have extensive medical knowledge and are familiar with the safety of medical staff and patients from their own experience.
The Coalition for Hospital Safety was established in 2021 with the main goal of increasing the safety of healthcare workers in the workplace, including by promoting and encouraging hospitals to use safe medical equipment. The Coalition's main project is the Declaration's Safe Hospital is Safe Patient programme, which is joined by Polish medical facilities that adhere to the Declaration's recommendations. Last year, more than 40 institutions joined the Coalition (hospitals, district sanitary and epidemiological stations, health centres, rehabilitation centres), this year the number of applications is 48. Patronage of the project is held by the National Health Fund, the Patient Ombudsman, the Supreme Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, the Polish Federation of Hospitals, the Polish Association of Epidemiological Nurses, the European Clean Treatment Association, the Polish Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Nurses, the Polish Society of Epidemiologists and Doctors of Infectious Diseases, the Polish Vascular Access Club, the Association of Hygienic Medicine and the Polish Association of Private Hospitals.
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The Coalition for Hospital Safety was established in 2021 with the main goal of increasing the safety of healthcare workers in the workplace, including by promoting and encouraging hospitals to use safe medical equipment. The coalition's main project is the Declaration's 'Safe Hospital is Safe Patient' programme, which is joined by Polish medical facilities that follow the Declaration's recommendations. Patronage of the project is held by the National Health Fund, the Patient Ombudsman, the Supreme Chamber of Nurses and Midwives, the Polish Federation of Hospitals, the Polish Association of Epidemiological Nurses, the Polish Association of Anaesthesiological and Intensive Care Nurses, the Polish Association of Epidemiologists and Doctors of Infectious Diseases, the Polish Vascular Access Club, the Association of Hygienic Medicine and the Polish Association of Private Hospitals.