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st. vincent’s university hospital
Section 2: Quality and Performance
Quality Improvement
St. Vincent’s University Hospital (hereafter referred to as “The
Hospital”) is committed to the delivery of quality healthcare and the
development of continuous quality improvement. The Hospital
engages in a wide variety of accreditation and quality assurance
processes and frameworks covering all aspects of our service.
General Accreditation: St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group participates in
national accreditation schemes, which provide a framework for
quality improvement. Quality improvement teams are in place to
carry out ongoing self-assessment against national and international
standards. Employees are encouraged to contribute to the selfassessment
process for their particular department and participate in
quality improvement initiatives.
Hygiene Accreditation: The Hospital participates in the Health
Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) National Hygiene Services
Assessment Scheme. The Hygiene Assessment Scheme is mandatory
for all acute hospitals and involves a process of self-assessment,
followed by unannounced external independent audits. Hygiene
is defined as: “The practice that serves to keep people and
environments clean and prevent infection. It involves the study of
preserving one’s health, preventing the spread of disease, and
recognizing, evaluating and controlling health hazards. In the
healthcare setting it incorporates the following key areas: Infection
control, hand hygiene, environment and facilities, catering,
management of laundry, waste and sharps, and equipment”.
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