A local private hospital with a “very robust” and “mature management system” is the first hospital in Ireland to receive ISO certification for its clinical sterile service department.
The Renmore facility achieved the coveted ISO 13485; 2012 certification from the National Standards Society of Ireland (NSSI ) for its quality management system witin the department.
The chief executive of the society, Maurice Buckley, described the hospital’s success as a significant achievement which sets a benchmark for other hospitals.
The certification specifically covers the management system for the provision of disinfection and sterilisation services for re-usable invasive medical devices. It is an international standard which is recognised globally. The Galway hospital’s success comes in the wake of re-accreditation by the Joint Commission International (JCI ) in May 2014. This assesses quality standards and improvement as well as patient safety.
ISO-13485;2012 assesses a range of criteria including, customer focus, responsibility and authority, competence and training, work environment, traceability to patient, internal audits, control of documentation, control of corrective and preventative actions and validation of processes.
This ISO accreditation demonstrates the Bon Secours Hospital’s commitment to provide the best possible decontamination standards which directly impact on clinical outcomes within the hospital setting.
Re-usable invasive medical devices are re-processed in the hospital’s decontamination unit. These devices come from different areas of the hospital, including operating theatres, clinics and wards. The devices are, pre-cleaned, dismantled, examined under a microscope or magnifier, disinfected and sterilised for re-use with a clear defined audit trail in place for all equipment.
Gerry Burke, the chief executive of the Bon Secours Galway said the ISO accreditation comes quickly on the heels of the hospital’s JCI re-accreditation.
“It highlights the emphasis we place on ensuring the very best safety standards for our patients. All hospitals re-use medical devices so it is critical that the very best practices are adhered to throughout the hospital.”
Bon Secours Health System is the largest private hospital group in Ireland and consists of four hospitals in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Tralee. The Bon Secours Health System treats in excess of 200,000 patients per year and has more than 350 consultants and 800 beds.
Chris Morrell, the vice president of NSAI stated that the Bon Secours Hospital in Galway has a very robust and mature management system.
Geraldine McNulty, CSSD manager and quality management representative said achieving this certification is a significant milestone for the CSSD Department at the hospital.
“This achievement reinforces our commitment to quality service for all of our patients providing additional assurance to those who are undergoing invasive procedures within the hospital.”
The NSAI, which provides the accreditation, is one of the world’s leading certification and notified bodies in Ireland.
