National recognition for hospital unit (From Warrington Guardian)

National recognition for hospital unit

3:07pm Tuesday 1st November 2011 in Bewsey

WARRINGTON Hospital’s endoscopy unit has received the national seal of approval with a quality accreditation.

The unit, which provides roughly 8,000 procedures a year, has been honoured by the Joint Advisory Group (JAG) after its team carried out an inspection in August.

The JAG programme aims to ensure the quality and safety of patient care in the UK and assesses all endoscopy units in the country against a series of strict standards.

An endoscopy is a procedure during which the inside of the body is examined using a telescope.

Assessments relating to this process are based on factors such as staffing, quality of care, patient comfort, training, unit design, cleaning standards and the length of time patients wait between referral and a diagnosis.

The unit, which won an award for its design at the Cheshire Built in Quality Awards, opened its doors in January 2010.

Dr Subramaniam Ramakrishnan, consultant gastroenterologist, said: “All endoscopy units within the UK aim to be JAG accredited, so we were delighted to receive the award.

“Patients can sometimes feel anxious about coming for an endoscopy. Let’s be honest, it’s not the most pleasant experience, but it is an essential part of modern medicine.

“Hopefully, the accreditation will assure patients that they are safe in our care and that we are providing a quality service with comfortable accommodation and highly trained staff.”