An introduction to ACSA

What is Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA)? A voluntary scheme for NHS and independent sector organisations Quality improvement through peer review A period of self-assessment and then improvement, with support from the College Working towards the goal of becoming an accredited department

What are the ACSA standards? Based on the RCoA’s NICE-accredited “Guidelines for the provision of anaesthetic services” Separated into 5 domains: The care pathway, Equipment, facilities and staffing Patient experience Clinical governance Optional Subspecialties: Neuroanaesthesia, Adult cardiothoracic services, Ophthalmic, Vascular Prioritised into 3 categories – all Priority 1standards must be met for accreditation to be awarded.

Process Internal Decision Self-assessment Contact Engagement Review Accreditation The department receives the onsite review report and works to close any gaps Once 100% of Priority 1 standards are agreed as being met, the department is awarded accreditation Internal Decision The department decides that they want to participate in the ACSA Scheme Self-assessment The department self-assesses using the ACSA self-assessment tool The department works to close the gaps between current practice and the required standards Contact The department sends their registration form to the ACSA team An optional teleconference is held to discuss details, practicalities and answer any queries Engagement The department decides that they are ready to formally engage with the ACSA Scheme – usually 70% compliant The department pay their ACSA subscription and gain access to the Good Practice Library and are assigned a College Guide Review The department decides they are ready for an onsite review visit An ACSA onsite review team, including two clinicians, a lay member and an administrative reviewer, visits the department

How long does accreditation last? The accreditation cycle lasts 4 years You will have to confirm continued compliance with the standards in Years 2, 3 and 4 If the department decides to continue to engage with ACSA after year 4, an onsite review visit will be required

How Much Does It Cost? The annual subscription charge is based on the size and complexity of the department; information obtained from your department’s Registration Form The minimum subscription is £2,570 per year for a small (< 50 consultants) single site hospital The initial payment agreement lasts for 4 years. An up-to-date subscription is required to maintain your accreditation status

Why engage with ACSA? A pro-active, structured process for improving services A process to self-check local guidelines and standards against nationally recognised standards Engagement in service improvement from staff within the department and at management level The benefit of expert advisory review on-site and help toward compliance

What are the benefits of ACSA? Departments will have a positive ACSA report to support funding and resource bids Direct feedback on service delivery in comparison with other anonymised providers Year-on-year comparison with local, regional and national standards of performance Access to a network of accredited departments willing to share best practice and service improvement initiatives Accredited departments will project a more attractive professional environment to potential employees and trainees

What do official bodies think of ACSA? Commissioner recognised enthusiasm for service improvement In England, CQC recognises accredited departments as low-risk. Similar recognition is being sought from Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Healthcare Inspectorate Wales and Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority, Northern Ireland ACSA contributes to meeting the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention programme (QIPP) Accreditation provides evidence that may support future Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) payments Additional recognition being is being discussed at NHSLA and NICE

What do accredited departments say about ACSA? Add profile from most similar accredited site Add quote from that site

Who else is engaging with ACSA? XX departments are registered with ACSA across the country – XX are in your region Of these, XX have formally engaged through payment with ACSA Of these, XX have been visited by an onsite ACSA review team Of these, 16 have been accredited so far

What’s in it for the RCoA? Meeting RCoA strategic goal: “Setting and maintaining the highest standards for anaesthesia and delivering healthcare improvements to secure the best outcomes for patients” Greater engagement with departments Updating College guidelines from direct feedback Data gathering on a national level Integration with key stakeholders including patients and regulators Proactivity recognised by national bodies representing regulation, governance, indemnity, and political positions

Where to start? Self-assessment against the ACSA standards What are our strengths and weaknesses? What is the size of the gap between current practice and meeting the ACSA standards? Communication with colleagues – clinical and non-clinical Involving as many people as possible from the start will make it easier to identify problem areas and spread the work Wider input and a whole-team approach is the key to implementing improvements Management support is essential Improvement – what and how can we improve? Some improvements will be straight forward to implement, even before the department is formally engaged with ACSA Other improvements will take more effort and the College will offer help from experienced clinicians and via examples of good practice

More information Visit our webpage: www.rcoa.ac.uk/acsa Email us : ACSA@rcoa.ac.uk Call us: 020 7092 1697