DEKRA recognizes UKSH as the first university hospital for patient safety
12.09.2022 13:13
The University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) was the first university hospital in Germany to receive the seal for patient safety for all departments. This award is confirmation of the functioning processes for safe patient care and is awarded by DEKRA in a complex certification process. This means that the UKSH, together with the Center for Integrative Psychiatry (ZIP) at the two locations in Kiel and Lübeck, has received independent confirmation of the high quality of patient safety.
“Of course, the safety of our patients has always been our focus. “The Patient Safety seal now also independently confirms the very high level of commitment of our employees and the already existing high standards for patient safety,” says Prof. Dr. Dr. hc Jens Scholz, CEO of UKSH. Annette Nedderhoff, commercial director of ZIP, adds: “The fact that the UKSH and we as a subsidiary have mastered this demanding task together underlines the high level and the interlocking of our respective processes and the good interdisciplinary exchange between both institutions for the benefit of our patients.”
In his laudatory speech, Christian Gröning, DEKRA Certification GmbH, praised the extraordinary team performance of UKSH and ZIP: “Being the first university hospital to have all its clinics certified according to this standard sets an example and sets new standards. The DEKRA seal for patient safety is a very practical seal, a standard from everyday practice for the safety of patients.”
The basis for checking the implementation of DEKRA's high standards for patient safety is an extensive catalog of criteria with over 130 individual criteria, which were checked in detail in an audit marathon lasting several days. In all audited areas, the team of experts was able to convince themselves of the professional implementation of the criteria required for patient safety. The good interprofessional teamwork and the shared focus on processes relevant to patient safety, such as patient transfers, were visible everywhere. The auditors highlighted numerous positive aspects, for example the established Antibiotic Stewardship (ABS) system, which leads to the responsible, targeted use of antibiotics, was rated as excellent.
At UKSH, the certification process took a year of intensive preparation. The UKSH project management Dr. Edlyn Soeth and Prof. Rainer Petzina expect this joint project to achieve sustainable quality development and further strengthen the safety culture at UKSH. “Thematically, this award for the UKSH fits perfectly with the World Health Organization’s global initiative, which has launched the Decade of Patient Safety 2021-2030. “On World Patient Safety Day, which is always celebrated on September 17th and is this time dedicated to the topic of ‘safe medication’, the UKSH is also setting a clear example with a state-of-the-art medication system,” says Prof. Petzina.
The UKSH including ZIP will now undergo re-certification by DEKRA every three years and will actively promote the continuous development of patient safety. In addition to excellent and highly qualified medical treatment, the focus at UKSH is on the greatest possible patient and employee safety.