Public Hospital Accreditation in Victoria

The Department of Health has promoted accreditation of acute hospitals as a significant component of its quality policy since 1993. Since 1 July 2000 all Victorian public hospitals are required to be accredited. The underpinning policy objective of mandatory accreditation is continuous maintenance of appropriate standards of care and quality improvement.

The Quality, Safety & Patient Experience Branch has responsibility for verifying the accreditation status of Victorian public health services and public hospitals. All agencies are required to provide a copy of their hospital accreditation survey or consent to the release of a summary report directly from their accrediting body.

In the event of a high priority recommendation the Department of Health, Quality, Safety & Patient Experience Branch, or relevant region, requires an action plan addressing the issue(s) within one month of being notified of the high priority recommendation.

Accreditation results are used to identify opportunities to improve Victorias healthcare system and assist with evaluating the effectiveness of statewide quality and safety strategies.