Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has received accreditation under the prestigious Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) scheme, demonstrating the Trusts’ 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. There are well over 100 standards covering equipment, facilities, staffing, training, and clinical governance.

The Trust commenced the process toward ACSA accreditation some time ago, unfortunately COVID-19 significantly delayed the process, but after a formal inspection in March 2022, notification of accreditation was received in August 2022, with the award being presented this week.

ACSA engages anaesthesia departments in quality improvement through peer review. Participating departments benchmark their performance against a set of standards based on the College's Guidelines for the Provision of Anaesthetic Services (GPAS), which is produced via a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) accredited process. Departments then work towards the goal of becoming accredited.

Dr Dan Edwards, Consultant Anaesthetist said:

“It has been a massive team effort and collectively touches on one of our largest teams, in anaesthetics and theatres across both our hospitals. The ACSA process has been of great benefit to our department and hence our staff and patients. It has empowered us to make improvements in our processes, equipment and training that have created a safer and more resilient environment. 

“It has also been a great tool for self-improvement, supporting us to achieve our quality improvement objectives, encouraging innovation and focusing our attention on new challenges.”

Photograph of Dr Fiona, RCoA President presenting the ACSA award to Consultant Anaesthetist, Dr Dan Edwards, Chief Executive, Simon Constable, and staff members from the Anaesthetic team

ACSA lead reviewer, Ian Johnson said:

“I would like to congratulate the Anaesthetic Department at Warrington & Halton Hospitals on all the work they have undertaken in preparation for their ACSA accreditation. This is more commendable given that a significant part of this work was done during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I would like to congratulate the Anaesthetic Department at Warrington & Halton Hospitals on all the work they have undertaken in preparation for their ACSA accreditation. This is more commendable given that a significant part of this work was done during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“The department has worked for a sustained time in ensuring all elements required for an ACSA visit were in place. There was good evidence that the anaesthetic department functions within a supportive management structure that extends all the way to the Chief Executive.

“Patients will benefit from all the work that has been undertaken in achieving this accreditation. As the lead for the accreditation team, I would like to thank everyone in Warrington & Halton for facilitating the ACSA process, the warm welcome and the receptive nature of their approach.”

Dr Fiona Donald, President of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, 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.”