Article issued by East Lothian Health & Social Care Partnership
The team at East Lothian Community Hospital are celebrating this month after becoming the first NHS Scotland out-patient endoscopy unit within a territorial Health Board area to be awarded the gold standard in quality endoscopy care by the Joint Advisory Group on Gastrointestinal (JAG) Endoscopy; a JAG accreditation.
The process of achieving JAG accreditation involves a period of self assessment and quality improvement against specific standards, followed by a site visit during which a team of assessors confirms that the standards are being met. Specifically, this covers continually improving the quality and safety of the care provided, maintaining a strong focus on ensuring patients have a positive experience, upholding a safe and comfortable environment for patients and staff and providing excellent training and development opportunities for all team members.
Becoming the first community hospital to achieve this award is a significant achievement. Internationally recognised, JAG accreditation is only awarded to the highest calibre of patient-centred establishments.
For patients, having JAG accreditation means they can have increased confidence in their endoscopy service, and they are assured the ‘gold standard’ of care.
Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care Michael Matheson said: “This is a wonderful achievement for the East Lothian endoscopy care team, and I hope other community hospitals will follow their example.
“Providing high-quality patient-centre care by well-trained staff is at the heart of all of our health and social care services.”
Fiona Wilson, Chief Officer for East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, who manages East Lothian Community Hospital, said: “Gaining JAG accreditation is an enormous achievement and a wonderful accolade to possess. The Endoscopy team in East Lothian are absolutely fantastic and have worked incredibly hard to achieve this accreditation.
“Led onsite by Charge Nurse Lynsey Ward and NHS Lothian Endoscopy Clinical Lead, Dr Nick Church, the team have come together to deliver exceptional standards in patient care day-in, day-out. Everyone is warmly welcomed, reassured and treated with the utmost dignity and respect, which is clearly evidenced by the patients’ comments and feedback which couldn’t be more glowing and complimentary.”
Dr Nick Church, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Lead for Endoscopy, NHS Lothian, said: “I am delighted that East Lothian Community Hospital team has achieved JAG accreditation for our Endoscopy unit. This accreditation demonstrates that we are providing a high-quality, safe and appropriate endoscopy service, delivered by a highly trained and motivated workforce.
“Many individuals have worked tirelessly to ensure that we are supporting clinicians, patients and families in a meaningful way and this recognition is testament to this.
“I’m immensely proud of our Endoscopy teams who continue to receive overwhelmingly positive comments on our feedback board which is located in patient waiting areas”.
