Accreditation success

At the end of last year, Mater Health Services underwent a review of its services through the Australian Council on Health Care Standards (ACHS) against nationally benchmarked criteria.

Mater has received the full report from the surveyors and it is pleased to announce that Mater has met all the mandatory criteria and all hospitals have been accredited for the next four years. Only 27% of all Australian hospitals received four years accreditation.

The surveyors were impressed with the standard of care and commitment of staff throughout the complex and commended all the hospitals for its “strong commitment to patient care and multi-disciplinary teamwork in all areas”.

A number of initiatives from the hospitals were highlighted in the report. Mater Private Hospital Brisbane (MPH) received particular mention for the care provided by the Mater Private Breast Care Unit and Mater Private Rehabilitation services. The MPH patient's admission guide was also highlighted in the report.

Mater Adult Hospital was commended for the Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) program, the multidisciplinary approach of the Division of Cancer Services, the innovation of urology services and the outreach programs, such as MOSH PIT (Mobile Outreach Support and Health Project by Integrated Teams). The surveyors also commended the work of the Critical Incident Review Committee.

Both Mater Mothers' Hospital and Mater Mothers' Private Hospital showed strong evidence of services integration, positive relationships between medical and midwifery staff and the effective discharge planning. The surveyors were impressed with the focus on children in theatre scheduling and acknowledged our strong emphasis on security for patients, family and staff in Mater Children's Hospital.

Mater's Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) was commended for the use of outcome data to inform, review and guide practice for each patient, with particular mention of the "Kids in Mind" Research Centre. Mater CYMHS approach to consumer involvement was seen as a benchmark within the industry.

Surveyors also commended Mater Pharmacy as well as Mater's commitment to providing health care services to local refugee and aboriginal communities and providing support services to patients and their families through the patient representative.

Based on surveyor recommendations Mater is developing action plans, which will focus on incorporation of consumer involvement in service planning, delivery and evaluation of care. As well as reviewing our clinical committee structures to ensure continued and increased emphasis on outcome measurement. Hospital signage will incorporate multi-lingual signage.