The Hospital Authority (HA) announced today that the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital (PYNEH) has become the first public hospital in Hong Kong to achieve accreditation under China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version). This significant milestone underscores the HA’s commitment to elevating the quality and safety of public healthcare services.
Importance of China’s International Hospital Accreditation
Dr. Tony Ko, Chief Executive of the HA, emphasized the importance of this accreditation, stating, “The successful accreditation of PYNEH serves as a strong boost to our ongoing efforts to enhance public hospital standards. We will continue to coordinate more hospitals’ participation in this accreditation program, ensuring that public healthcare aligns with international standards while promoting the global reach of national accreditation standards.” He also expressed gratitude to the hospital staff for their cooperation during the accreditation process.
Accreditation Process
The accreditation process involved an on-site survey conducted by experts from the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Center, which commended PYNEH’s commitment to quality and patient safety. The Center praised the hospital’s risk management systems and confirmed that it met all accreditation criteria.
Dr. Loletta So, Chief Executive of PYNEH, expressed her appreciation for the support from the Health Bureau and HA Head Office (HAHO). “This accreditation reaffirms our sound management system and demonstrates that our healthcare services meet international standards while aligning with national guidelines. The hospital accreditation program has provided us with opportunities for continuous improvement and collaboration with mainland experts,” she stated.
Initiatives and Future Plans
In line with the Chief Executive’s Policy Address, PYNEH and the Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH) had previously implemented the accreditation program based on the national standards, which encompass various aspects of hospital operations, including management, patient safety, and quality of care.
Dr. So highlighted the hospital’s initiatives during the accreditation process, such as developing single-disease projects and establishing comprehensive treatment guidelines to enhance patient care. PYNEH has also strengthened its emergency management protocols and is focusing on adopting advanced technologies and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration for improved healthcare delivery.
The HA is planning to extend the hospital accreditation program to additional facilities, including Queen Mary Hospital, United Christian Hospital, and Tuen Mun Hospital, between 2025 and 2026, to further enhance the quality and service standards across public hospitals.
Ceremony and Future Outlook
The Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr. Zhou Ji, accompanied by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, witnessed the accreditation of PYNEH under China's International Hospital Accreditation Standards (2021 Version) and officiated at the unveiling ceremony of the Hong Kong Office of the Shenzhen Hospital Accreditation Research Center (Center) today.
Addressing the Award Ceremony, Professor Lo said, "I am very excited and proud about the accreditation of the first hospital in Hong Kong under the Standards. The resumption of the Hospital Accreditation Programme in public hospitals in Hong Kong can enhance the quality and safety of hospitals and ensure the management, services, and quality of hospitals continuously improve and are on par with international standards. Moreover, accreditation under the Standards can promote uniformity of the healthcare services in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), hence providing residents of the GBA with international and homogenous healthcare services. This also marks the milestone when the Standards, which is an international hospital accreditation standard developed by our country, has officially gone beyond the Mainland and towards internationalization."
Professor Lo also mentioned that the HKSAR Government will continue to press ahead with the accreditation programme under the Standards in the future. In addition to PYNEH, which has received accreditation, and Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH), which is undergoing the accreditation process, more public and private hospitals participating in the accreditation programme under the Standards will not only complement healthcare integration within the GBA and support Hong Kong's integration into the national development but also demonstrate the excellence of the national hospital accreditation standards to the international community through fully leveraging Hong Kong’s advantages of enjoying strong support from the Motherland and being closely connected to the world.
The Standards were jointly developed by hospital accreditation experts from Hong Kong and the Mainland based on the national Tier III Class A hospital accreditation standards and in accordance with the requirements of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQHC), while drawing reference from international experience. The Standards and the Center have successfully obtained three accreditations of the ISQHC in terms of health and social care standards, surveyor training programmes, as well as external evaluation organizations, and are therefore considered an internationally recognized hospital accreditation framework. In line with the policy initiative of hospital accreditation set out in the Chief Executive's Policy Addresses of 2022 and 2023, the Hospital Authority (HA) has resumed the Hospital Accreditation Programme by adopting the Standards at PYNEH and PWH in 2023-24.
Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR Mr. Yin Zonghua; the Director General of the Public Hygiene and Health Commission of Shenzhen Municipality, Ms. Wu Hongyan; and the Deputy Executive Director-General of the Qianhai Authority, Mr. Huang Xiaopeng, also officiated at the Ceremony. Other attending guests included the Director of Health, Dr. Ronald Lam; the Chairman of the HA, Mr. Henry Fan; and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr. Tony Ko.
The accreditation of PYNEH under China’s International Hospital Accreditation Standards marks a significant step forward in enhancing the quality and safety of public healthcare services in Hong Kong. The Hospital Authority’s commitment to extending this accreditation program to more hospitals underscores its dedication to aligning with international standards and promoting healthcare excellence in the Greater Bay Area.
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