Quality & Safety
At Canberra Surgicentre we take quality and safety seriously and are committed to ongoing improvement of patient care.
Accreditation
The National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards provide a nationally consistent statement about the level of care consumers can expect from Australian health service organisations. Canberra Surgicentre continues to remain accredited against the NSQHS Standards, through membership with ACHS – The Australian Council on Healthcare Standards.
ACHS is an independent organisation, dedicated to improving the quality and safety of health care through continual review of performance, assessment and accreditation. ACHS works with Canberra Surgicentre to establish policy and procedures through ongoing self and onsite assessment, identifying opportunities for improvements in quality and safety as a way to achieve positive outcomes in patient care.
Infection Rates
Canberra Surgicentre has thorough infection control procedures and ensures staff take every precaution to prevent infections. Healthcare associated infections (HAI) occur as a result of healthcare interventions and can happen whether you are being treated in hospital, in a GP clinic, another healthcare facility, or at home. They are caused by microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. Some patients are at a higher risk of acquiring an infection, which may lead to a longer recovery time.
By collecting data on healthcare associated infections and analysing this, we are able to identify patterns and trends allowing our clinicians and staff to improve practices and reduce the risks for infection.
Hand Hygiene
The single most important factor in reducing healthcare associated infections is hand hygiene. Simply put, hand hygiene is washing or cleaning your hands with soap and water, or with waterless hand sanitiser (Alcohol Based Hand Rub). While our hands may look clean, many germs are invisible to our eyes. Germs can survive on unwashed hands for over an hour, allowing for bacteria and viruses to be easily transmitted to our environment and other people.
All Canberra Surgicentre staff are expected to frequently clean their hands and to use correct hand hygiene. ‘Hand Hygiene Australia’ is a government approved organisation that helps train staff in the use of correct hand hygiene. The World Health Organisation has identified five moments for hand hygiene; this is five opportunities when hand hygiene should be performed in hospital. These Five Moments are:
- Before touching a patient
- Before a procedure
- After a procedure
- After touching a patient
- After touching a patient’s belongings or surroundings
Canberra Surgicentre staff are regularly audited by being observed when carrying out their duties, to see whether hand hygiene has been performed correctly at each ‘moment’.
It is important that all patients and visitors to Canberra Surgicentre also follow good hand hygiene practices. You can do this by washing or cleaning your hands:
- After blowing your nose
- After going to the toilet
- Before, during and after preparing food
- After smoking
- After handling/patting animals
- When your hands are visibly dirty
As a quality improvement, Canberra Surgicentre participates in National Surveys Through the National Hand Hygiene Initiative and results are benchmarked against other Hospitals across Australia. The below diagram shows the Hand Hygiene Audit results for Canberra Surgicentre compared to national results for the 1st quarter of 2024. Canberra Surgicentre’s Audit result of 90.1% is well above the national benchmark of 86.8% and we continue to strive for excellence.
Return to Theatre and Transfers
Canberra Surgicentre undertake many surgical procedures each year. On very rare occasions, a patient may be required to return to theatre following their procedure, or alternatively be transferred to another hospital for a higher level of care.
Canberra Surgicentre endeavours to ensure patients do not need a return to theatre or to be transferred to another hospital following their procedure. We minimise this risk by following these steps:
- A preadmission assessment of high risk patients
- Careful monitoring of patients in recovery
- Ensuring patient’s level of pain is carefully assessed
- Reviewing every case when a patient requires a return to theatre, to work out the reasons why and how to prevent it in future
Rights And Responsibilities
Rights And Responsibilities
Your Rights
We believe that every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. At Canberra Surgicentre you have the right to:
Your Responsibilities:
- Contact your private health fund to determine any possible out of pocket expenses, including your hospital excess.
Safety:
Receive safe and high quality services, provided with professional care, skill and competence;
- It can be expected that you will receive prompt response in emergencies;
- Before your treatment begins your informed consent must be provided. You are able to withdraw your consent and refuse further treatment at any time during your care.
Respect:
The care provided will be respectful of culture, beliefs, values and personal characteristics;
- If required, assistance from trained interpreters can be requested to support you in understanding your treatment.
Communication:
Receive open, timely and appropriate communication about your health care in a way that is easily understandable;
- Before treatment begins you are entitled to know about all expected costs and any money you may have to pay out of your own pocket. If you are worried about costs, you should discuss this with your doctor or the Canberra Surgicentre Manager;
Participation:
Be able to join in making decisions and choices about your care;
- Expect to be consulted about the continuing care that you may need after you leave the hospital;
- You can leave hospital at any time, even against the advice of your doctor or hospital staff. However, you must accept the associated risks and sign a form taking responsibility for your actions.
Comment:
You can comment on or complain about your care and have concerns dealt with properly and promptly;
- Your doctor should provide you with a clear explanation of our diagnosis, your treatment and other treatment options available;
Parents and Guardians:
As a parent or guardian of a patient you are able to exercise these rights on behalf of your child or dependant. You are able to request to stay with the child at all times, if your child is in hospital –except where separation is necessary for medical reasons.
Please help us by:
- Informing your doctors and hospital staff frankly and honestly about any physical or psychological conditions affecting you and providing information such as your medical and family history;
- Informing your doctor and hospital staff about any other treatment you are receiving or medicines you are taking even if they are not prescribed by a doctor;
- Please ask questions about your health and treatment and become well informed about hospital procedures. Never hesitate to ask for this information, even if it means repeating the same questions until you understand. Delay in asking questions that trouble you may lead to unnecessary worry;
- Be sure to keep appointments, or inform those concerned if you are unable to attend.
- Comply with prescribed treatment, or inform your health professional of your intention not to do so;
- Accept the consequences of your own informed decision, and only change your mind about treatment with good reason.
- You should treat your health care staff and other patients with respect and courtesy;
- You will be responsible for paying your attending surgeons, anaesthetists and hospital’s charges. You should therefore investigate your level of private health insurance cover, as you are liable on the day of surgery for any changes that are not covered by your private health insurance.
- You are required to provide payment for all services provided in full before any treatment is provided.
Comments And Complaints Procedure
Comments And Complaints Procedure
The staff and management at the Canberra Surgicentre are committed to providing the highest standard of excellence when delivering your healthcare. If you have a concern about our service you have the right to make a comment or complaint.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of your care, please speak to any staff member who is present at the time. If your issue cannot be resolved at the local level you then may either make an appointment to discuss with the Practice Manager or submit a written letter to:
Hospital Director
The Canberra Surgicentre
Scala House
11 Torrens Street
BRADDON ACT 2612
or email: consults@surgicentre.com.au
Canberra Surgicentre also engages with consumer consultants at regular intervals through the Quality and Safety Committee. Comments and complaints are discussed, with anonymity, at these meetings.
If you are unable to resolve your issue with the surgery you may wish to contact one of these services:
The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman
Phone: 1800 640 695
The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman protects the interests of private health insurance consumers. Complaints must be about a health insurance arrangement.
AHPRA – Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Phone: 1300 419 495 (within Australia), or +613 9275 9009 (outside of Australia)
AHPRA is responsible for the registration and renewal process for health practitioners around Australia. You can make a complaint to AHPRA about a registered health practitioner.
Health Care Complaints Resolution Bodies
State and territory complaints resolution bodies are all independent organisations dealing with complaints about health services (such as hospitals, medical centres and nursing homes) and individual health practitioners (such as doctors, nurses, dentists and counsellors).
Australian Capital Territory Human Rights Commissioner
Phone: (02) 6205 2222
TTY for hearing impaired: (02) 6207 1034
Commonwealth Ombudsman for Private Health Insurance Complaints
Health Care Consumers Organisation ACT
Rights And Responsibilities
Your Rights
We believe that every person deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. At Canberra Surgicentre you have the right to:
Your Responsibilities:
- Contact your private health fund to determine any possible out of pocket expenses, including your hospital excess.
Safety:
Receive safe and high quality services, provided with professional care, skill and competence;
- It can be expected that you will receive prompt response in emergencies;
- Before your treatment begins your informed consent must be provided. You are able to withdraw your consent and refuse further treatment at any time during your care.
Respect:
The care provided will be respectful of culture, beliefs, values and personal characteristics;
- If required, assistance from trained interpreters can be requested to support you in understanding your treatment.
Communication:
Receive open, timely and appropriate communication about your health care in a way that is easily understandable;
- Before treatment begins you are entitled to know about all expected costs and any money you may have to pay out of your own pocket. If you are worried about costs, you should discuss this with your doctor or the Canberra Surgicentre Manager;
Participation:
Be able to join in making decisions and choices about your care;
- Expect to be consulted about the continuing care that you may need after you leave the hospital;
- You can leave hospital at any time, even against the advice of your doctor or hospital staff. However, you must accept the associated risks and sign a form taking responsibility for your actions.
Comment:
You can comment on or complain about your care and have concerns dealt with properly and promptly;
- Your doctor should provide you with a clear explanation of our diagnosis, your treatment and other treatment options available;
Parents and Guardians:
As a parent or guardian of a patient you are able to exercise these rights on behalf of your child or dependant. You are able to request to stay with the child at all times, if your child is in hospital –except where separation is necessary for medical reasons.
Please help us by:
- Informing your doctors and hospital staff frankly and honestly about any physical or psychological conditions affecting you and providing information such as your medical and family history;
- Informing your doctor and hospital staff about any other treatment you are receiving or medicines you are taking even if they are not prescribed by a doctor;
- Please ask questions about your health and treatment and become well informed about hospital procedures. Never hesitate to ask for this information, even if it means repeating the same questions until you understand. Delay in asking questions that trouble you may lead to unnecessary worry;
- Be sure to keep appointments, or inform those concerned if you are unable to attend.
- Comply with prescribed treatment, or inform your health professional of your intention not to do so;
- Accept the consequences of your own informed decision, and only change your mind about treatment with good reason.
- You should treat your health care staff and other patients with respect and courtesy;
- You will be responsible for paying your attending surgeons, anaesthetists and hospital’s charges. You should therefore investigate your level of private health insurance cover, as you are liable on the day of surgery for any changes that are not covered by your private health insurance.
- You are required to provide payment for all services provided in full before any treatment is provided.
Comments And Complaints Procedure
The staff and management at the Canberra Surgicentre are committed to providing the highest standard of excellence when delivering your healthcare. If you have a concern about our service you have the right to make a comment or complaint.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of your care, please speak to any staff member who is present at the time. If your issue cannot be resolved at the local level you then may either make an appointment to discuss with the Practice Manager or submit a written letter to:
Hospital Director
The Canberra Surgicentre
Scala House
11 Torrens Street
BRADDON ACT 2612
or email: consults@surgicentre.com.au
Canberra Surgicentre also engages with consumer consultants at regular intervals through the Quality and Safety Committee. Comments and complaints are discussed, with anonymity, at these meetings.
If you are unable to resolve your issue with the surgery you may wish to contact one of these services:
The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman
Phone: 1800 640 695
The Private Health Insurance Ombudsman protects the interests of private health insurance consumers. Complaints must be about a health insurance arrangement.
AHPRA – Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Phone: 1300 419 495 (within Australia), or +613 9275 9009 (outside of Australia)
AHPRA is responsible for the registration and renewal process for health practitioners around Australia. You can make a complaint to AHPRA about a registered health practitioner.
Health Care Complaints Resolution Bodies
State and territory complaints resolution bodies are all independent organisations dealing with complaints about health services (such as hospitals, medical centres and nursing homes) and individual health practitioners (such as doctors, nurses, dentists and counsellors).
Australian Capital Territory Human Rights Commissioner
Phone: (02) 6205 2222
TTY for hearing impaired: (02) 6207 1034
