Audits

One of the ways NMHS assesses its compliance against the NSQHS Standards is through clinical audits. Clinical audits ensure everyone is complying with the policies, guidelines and procedures to deliver safe quality healthcare to our patients.

NMHS schedule audits relevant to the NSQHS Standards. Several committees are responsible for ensuring audits are completed, results and reports are presented, and action plans are communicated to the relevant staff and areas.

How does NMHS measure up for Hand Hygiene?

Good hand hygiene (washing or decontaminating hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub) is an important part of quality patient care and a way to reduce infections associated with health care.

The estimated hand hygiene rate for a health service is a measure of how often hand hygiene is correctly performed (as a percentage). The data are derived from audits of hand hygiene ‘moments’ conducted up to three times a year. The national benchmark for hospitals is 80 per cent.

The chart below shows the hand hygiene compliance rate for NMHS and JHC over three audits conducted between 2019 and 2020. Where we did not meet the hand hygiene compliance target, action plans were put in place and monitored by our Board’s Safety and Quality Committee.