Member Article

Spire in JAG bid to lead private healthcare

Spire Washington Hospital has started formal proceedings to achieve JAG accreditation in a bid to lead the way in private healthcare.

JAG (Joint Advisory Group) which works hand in hand with GRS (Global Rating Scale) is a patient centred service that requires clarity of standards for all gastrointestinal endoscopy units. The purpose of its accreditation is to ensure hospitals have the skills, resources and achievable actions necessary to provide best practice patient-centred care.

Currently all NHS hospitals are legally obliged to attain the accreditation, but private healthcare providers are not and as such, very few independents nationally have taken the step.

The pathway to JAG accreditation can take a number of months and if Spire Washington Hospital attains this, it will be the first private provider in the North East to have done so, as well as the first in the Spire Group.

Susan Nelson, team lead of Endoscopy at Spire Washington Hospital, said: “The process of accreditation is incredibly challenging but the benefits will be well worth the hard work involved.

“We already strive for continuous improvement so this is not something new to us but it will be an extremely positive step to have recognition from an external, independent assessor that underlines our commitment to being the best of the best.

“As well as increasing patient confidence in our services, JAG accreditation will provide our staff with yet another reason for being proud to work at Spire Washington, by increasing our motivation, job satisfaction and strengthening the endoscopy services we proudly provide to our patients.

“Our goal is now to work through the pathway, ensuring we adhere to all the regulations so that it when comes to the visiting assessment, we are on course for success.”

For more information, please visit www.spirewashington.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Silvie Adams .