The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), Australia's leading independent authority on healthcare, has recognised the high standard of care that Fresenius Medical Care provides to patients by awarding accreditation to the company's network of 16 dialysis clinics, with clinics achieving the highest possible rating 'Met with Merit' in five important areas.

Full accreditation against the ten National Safety and Quality in Healthcare Standards as well as the five EQuIPNational Standards was awarded by ACHS in December 2017.

In 2015, Fresenius Medical Care was the first healthcare organisation in Australia to achieve nationwide accreditation under the EQuIPNational Day Procedure Centres program. The 2017 accreditation, which will continue until 2020, demonstrates the company's culture of continuous quality improvement and the consistently high standard of care that all patients can expect.

Fresenius Medical Care vice president and managing director Australia and New Zealand, Margot Hurwitz said EQuIPNational is a rigorous, consumer-focused programme that measures how effective a healthcare organisation is in terms of patient care.

"ACHS accreditation sends a clear message to the community that Fresenius Medical Care is committed to excellence in healthcare", added Hurwitz. "Importantly, this means that our patients can expect the same quality of care at our clinics, whether they are located in the city, regional, or even remote settings."

In addition to meeting all fifteen standards, Fresenius Medical Care achieved the highest possible Met with Merit level of recognition in five areas, including orientation and ongoing training programs for both staff and patients, infection control and medication management. The ACHS surveyor was particularly impressed by the clinics' partnerships with patients, which ensure that they are active participants in their own care and health outcomes, noting that: "Fresenius Medical Care has tailored their orientation and training for consumers (patients and carers) to suit the cultural group that the clinic is serving, going beyond the normal education that occurs for consumers".

For example, in the Northern Territory, where many patients are unable to speak, read or write English, the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) primary healthcare group and interpreters who speak the different indigenous dialects, work together with Fresenius Medical Care to provide information and pictorial descriptions of treatment, ensuring that all patients understand the orientation.  

In addition, partnerships formed by Fresenius Medical Care in the Northern Territory help locate patients and provide a transport service to them. Without this, these patients would otherwise not be able to attend their dialysis sessions.

Hurwitz reinforced the importance of these partnerships with patients: "We know that patients today demand high standards in their healthcare, and we are tremendously proud that Fresenius Medical Care dialysis clinics have been recognised for not only meeting this expectation, but exceeding it in five areas of vital patient care. This is a true testament to our culture of continuous quality improvement and putting our patients at the centre of everything we do."

Fresenius Medical Care is the world's largest provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which around 3.2 million patients worldwide regularly undergo dialysis treatment.

ACHS is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare in Australia through continual review of performance, assessment and accreditation, with a specific focus on safety, quality and performance.

EQuIPNational Day Procedure Centres is a three-year accreditation programme for day hospitals, day surgeries and day procedure services that ensures organisations meet the necessary requirements to meet the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards. In addition, it offers accreditation against further five standards that focus on the performance of non-clinical systems: service delivery, provision of care, workforce management, information management, and corporate governance and safety.