Publish date: 1 September 2023
Endoscopy teams at leading health trust receive prestigious JAG accreditation
Endoscopy teams at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have been recognised for their immense effort and teamwork, through official JAG accreditation.
North Tyneside General Hospital and Wansbeck General Hospital has achieved the prestigious accreditation that verifies that the trust is meeting rigorous, high-quality standards which are used across the UK (and Republic of Ireland) to support improvement of endoscopy services.
These standards have been developed by a multi-professional group of clinicians, managers and service users. The accreditation programme is run by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) who are dedicated to improving quality of care.
By participating in the JAG programme, Northumbria Healthcare is ensuring that patients receive high quality of care in endoscopy services.
The standards assessed are clinical quality, patient experience, workforce and training. This includes the assessment of the service’s role in safe and effective diagnosis, as well as the provision of efficient and patient-centred care.
In the final report, special mention was given to the excellence of the multi-disciplinary team, who were recognised for their clear focus on both staff and patients, as well as their commitment to delivering a sustainable endoscopy service. Under the patient experience domain, the service was recognised for the many opportunities for patients to provide feedback, and the use of patient stories to enhance the service was recognised as an impressive example of best practice.
It's ambition to involve patients was praised, specifically for the development of videos to demonstrate the whole patient journey – an example of high-level patient engagement.
The exceptional training environment was also commended with the organisation showing commitment through a dedicated lead. The staff wellbeing strategy was highlighted as one of the best examples seen by the assessor, clearly showing a happy and engaged workforce.
This was reflected through patient feedback on the day too, with one saying: “I can’t praise all the staff enough, from the receptionist through to the nurses.” Another adding: “Everyone ensured I was getting the best care possible.”
Dr Tom Lee, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “As a team we feel honoured to have been awarded this accreditation which measures our work against a range of key standards. As a diagnostic service, people come to us for all sorts of reasons and often feeling a mix of emotions - we want them to feel reassured from the moment they enter our clinics. The premise of the JAG accreditation is based around delivering high quality and safe patient care, and that encompasses exactly what we do as a team.”
Marion Dickson, Executive Director for Nursing, Midwifery and AHPs said: “Our endoscopy teams work incredibly hard every single day to deliver services to the communities of North Tyneside and Northumberland. The recognition that the team works to the ‘Team Northumbria – building a caring future’ ethos really reflects that hard work and commitment. Northumbria Healthcare will continue to provide high standards of care whilst supporting staff in their training, underpinned by the accreditation quality framework.”
For more information on the JAG programme, please visit https:/