Nuffield Health has announced a new partnership with the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) that will see all its hospitals work towards AfPP accreditation - a major step in strengthening consistency, quality and safety in theatre care across its national network.
Widely regarded across the sector as the gold standard mark of excellence, patients are at the heart of AfPP Accreditation. It offers patients meaningful reassurance that each Nuffield Health hospital is working to the same high standards of safety, quality and perioperative practice.
Two of Nuffield Health’s hospitals have already achieved successful accreditation. As part of its ambition to provide the best healthcare and support people can receive anywhere, Nuffield Health will now embed the AfPP framework across its remaining 33 hospitals, with a target of full rollout by the end of 2027.
The partnership, announced at Nuffield Health’s York Hospital, will see AfPP work alongside teams across Nuffield Health to further strengthen patient safety by embedding recognised best practice across its hospital theatre services.
AfPP Accreditation is a collaborative, structured review that benchmarks theatre services against the AfPP Standards & Recommendations for Safe Perioperative Practice (2022), as well as national frameworks including the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist and the National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs).
The process supports theatre teams to reflect on practice, recognise what is working well and identify opportunities for improvement. In doing so, it gives staff confidence that they are delivering care to a consistently high standard and helps build a culture of continuous improvement.
Alison McCourt, Chief Quality Officer at Nuffield Health, said:
“This is an important milestone that reflects our ambition to deliver the best health and care services patients can get anywhere. By working with AfPP as a trusted partner, we will implement these standards consistently across all 35 of our hospitals.
“This standardised approach will give patients confidence and assurance that they will receive the highest quality of care, no matter where they are treated within Nuffield Health. It also strengthens our teams by providing clear frameworks and support to continue delivering outstanding perioperative care every day.”
Alex Duke, Chief Executive Officer at AfPP, said: “We are delighted to be working with Nuffield Health on this programme. Our shared focus on patient safety and professional excellence makes this a natural partnership.
“Accreditation is an important marker, but it is ultimately a reflection of strong collaboration, engaged teams and a commitment to continuous improvement. Nuffield Health is demonstrating their wholesale commitment to holding the highest standards in patient safety and quality – and we look forward to working alongside them to further strengthening this within perioperative care.”
This announcement follows Nuffield Health’s recent achievement of ANTT (Aseptic Non Touch Technique) Gold status across 92 sites, including all hospitals and fitness and wellbeing centres offering primary care services.
