It was a week that had been months in the making when the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) accreditors attended RBWH to conduct Short Notice Assessment from 15-19 January.

The role of the assessors was to evaluate RBWH against the eight National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. Staff had been preparing for Short Notice Assessment for the past two years, however, this was intensified following a peer review in April 2023, working on mandatory training, ensuring procedures were up-to-date, reviewing systems and processes, and working to improve health equity.

The assessors were thoroughly impressed with the teamwork and commitment to care they witnessed throughout their time at RBWH, as well as the willingness of staff to speak with the assessor team. They also specifically noted the sense of calm they observed everywhere even with complex caseloads, the hospital’s commitment to innovation and research, the level of consumer involvement across RBWH, the passion of our Staff Council, the efficiency of our Food Services teams, the gender diversity video shown in orientation, the Up Late meetings and exemplary clinical handover practices.

Overall, the team stated that they had “an absolutely wonderful week”, and RBWH Executive now have a clear vision of how RBWH can build on the feedback from the assessors to continue to provide high-quality care to our consumers.

Well done to all staff for your hard work preparing for this important week, for welcoming the assessors so warmly and for showcasing the great work done at RBWH every day. It was a true team effort. In the words of our Executive Director, Louise Oriti, “GO TEAM ROYAL!”.