Royal Bolton Hospital has been reaccredited under the prestigious Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) scheme, demonstrating the hospital’s 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.

Dr Lucy McManamon, Consultant at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said:

ACSA reaccreditation for the anaesthetic department at Royal Bolton Hospital stands as a beacon of assurance for patients, the wider trust, potential employees as well as national regulators.

“It signifies our unwavering commitment to maintaining and advancing the quality improvement projects and processes established during the preparation for our first accreditation.

“With ACSA, we have the confidence, that we are not overlooking any vital aspect of our care, and our practice remains aligned with the highest nationally recommended standards.

Dr Russell Perkins, Vice-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.