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Our Quality & Safety Performance

National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards

At Burnside Hospital, you can expect a high level of professional expertise and safe care. We have systems in place and our staff are trained to ensure we meet the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NHQHS) Standards. The NSQHS provide a nationally consistent and uniform set of measures of safety and quality for application across health care services, which Burnside Hospital complies with.

There are eight (8) NSQHS Standards which cover adverse events, clinical deterioration, safety and communication. Burnside Hospital works hard to ensure that our health services are safe, effective, integrated, high quality and continuously improving.

You can be confident that Burnside Hospital has systems in place to deliver safe and high-quality health care and ensure good clinical outcomes for every patient, every time.

Please click here to view the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards in full.

Standard 1: Clinical Governance

All staff, from frontline clinicians to board members, are accountable to patients.

At Burnside Hospital, our staff have the right qualifications, skills and supervision to deliver safe, high-quality healthcare to you and we have systems in place governed by policies to actively manage and improve the safety and quality of healthcare.

You are encouraged to ask questions about any aspect of your care and participate in planning and decisions about your treatment and/or care.

We also have feedback mechanisms in place to ensure staff and patients can make suggestions and provide feedback for the ongoing provision of excellence in care. If you would like to make a suggestion or provide feedback, please ask us for the relevant brochure or send an email to mail@burnsidehospital.asn.au 

Standard 2: Partnering with Consumers

Burnside Hospital follows the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights, which outlines the rights you have as a patient in areas such as access, safety, respect and privacy.

Your healthcare rights as a patient at Burnside Hospital include:

  • We pride ourselves on providing information that is easy to understand.
  • We work with consumers to develop systems and review patient information.
  • We strive to include patients in their own care and involve them in discussions – for example, handover between morning and afternoon nursing shifts is done at the bedside, involving the patient in important discussions.

Standard 3: Preventing and Controlling Infections

Burnside Hospital has a highly experienced infection prevention and control department to minimise infections and maintain a clean and hygienic organisation.

We have a surveillance strategy and regularly report on infections and antimicrobial use.

Staff also undergo frequent training in hand hygiene, aseptic technique and cleaning of equipment, instruments and devices. 

We all have a part to play in the fight against germs

  • Hands may look clean, but they can still carry germs – regular hand washing, or the use of a hand sanitiser gel are simple ways to stop the spread of infection in hospital.
  • It is important to wash your hands with soap and water before you eat and after using the toilet – at other times, the hand sanitiser gel is effective (if you cannot visit the bathroom or easily reach the hand sanitiser gel, let your nurse know).
  • Doctors, nurses and other staff caring for you are required to cleanse their hands before giving care to you – if you are unsure that they have done this, please do not hesitate to ask them.
  • Before and after visiting you, visitors should always wash their hands or use the hand sanitiser gel conveniently placed throughout the hospital.
  • Ask your family members or friends who have a cold, stomach upset or rash not to visit you until they are better. • Keep the dressing around any wounds clean and dry – tell your nurse if it gets wet or loose and begins to fall off.
  • Tell your nurse immediately if the area around a wound, tube or drain becomes red, swollen or painful.

Standard 4: Medication Safety

Burnside Hospital has systems in place to reduce the risk of medication incidents. These systems cover the safe prescribing, dispensing and administering of medication.

There are actions you can take to help manage your medications:

  • Let us know about all medications that have been prescribed by your personal doctor/s and about any vitamin and herbal supplements you take.
  • Tell us if you have an allergy to a specific medication, or if you have experienced a reaction to a medication in the past.
  • If you have any concerns regarding a medication prescribed for you in hospital, please discuss this with your doctor, pharmacist or nurse as soon as you can.
  • Ensure you understand the information and instructions for any medication that is given to you in hospital to take when you return home. Again, ask the doctor or pharmacist to explain anything that is unclear or you are uncertain about.

Standard 5: Comprehensive Care

Burnside Hospital has integrated screening, assessment and risk identification processes to prevent and minimise the risk of certain harms.

The prevention of falls is a major focus and clinical staff take the time to assess each patient’s individual risk factors which may put them at higher risk of a fall or a fall with harm.

Standard 6: Communicating for Safety

We have systems and strategies for effective communication between patients, carers/ family and healthcare staff. We communicate critical information and risks when they emerge, have structured clinical handover processes and ensure essential information is documented in your healthcare record to ensure your safety.

Identification measures ensure you receive the right care. Please alert staff if your wrist identification band is no longer in place or becomes difficult to read. Staff members will ask you to verify your identification before tests, procedures or giving medication. While it may seem repetitive, this is an important safety measure.

Standard 7: Blood Management

At Burnside Hospital we adhere to strict strategies to ensure that any blood and blood products you receive are appropriate and safe.

  • Your doctor or nurse will provide you with an information sheet before you receive your blood transfusion – if you have not received this, please ask for a copy.
  • You will be asked for your consent before you are given blood. • Please tell us if you have had any problems with blood products in the past.
  • Your nurse will ask for your name and date of birth if you are to have a blood transfusion. Blood clots are a serious safety issue. Being a patient in hospital increases your chance of getting a blood clot, particularly if you are having or have recently had surgery or a procedure, or if you are unable to move around as usual. A clot could occur during your stay in hospital or after you return home following treatment in hospital. For your information, please speak with the nursing / midwifery staff who are caring for you.

Standard 8: Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration

Burnside Hospital has systems and processes to respond to patients when their physical, mental or cognitive condition deteriorates.

You may hear loudspeaker announcements while you are in hospital, such as Code Blue or MET call. These messages help staff to attend to patients whose condition is deteriorating in a speedy manner.

Our staff are trained to notice changes in your health, but we want you to let staff know if you feel unwell, or think your condition has changed or something might have been missed. We have a patient escalation system called R.E.A.C.H. There are posters in your room that highlight the steps you can take if you feel you haven’t been heard, or are concerned about your condition or recovery.

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Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Seek advice from an appropriately qualified health practitioner before proceeding with any procedure.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Seek advice from an appropriately qualified health practitioner before proceeding with any procedure.