ONiA is Again Awarded Full Accreditation for all Locations

ONiA are proud to announce that we have once again been awarded full accreditation to the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards for private Dental Practice for all nine locations.  Achieving Accreditation takes dedication, team work, and a commitment to continuous quality improvement.

When you go to see your Orthodontist, chances are you don’t necessarily look at all the various posters and notices on the practice’s wall. But if you were to take a good look, one particular item you might see displayed will talk about the fact that the orthodontic practice has undertaken what’s known as practice accreditation.  In short, that means that the staff at your practice have undergone a process to meet a strict set of standards that commit them to continuously improving the safety and quality of the care they deliver to patients like you.

The National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards are designed to drive improvements in safety and quality in health care across Australia. The NSQHS Standards were developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) in consultation and collaboration with: State, Territory and Australian Government health departments; technical experts; and a wide range of stakeholders, including health professionals and patients.

The primary aims of the NSQHS Standards are to protect the public from harm and to improve the quality of health service provision. The NSQHS Standards provide a quality assurance mechanism that:
• tests whether relevant systems are in place to ensure minimum standards of safety and quality are met
• allows health services to realise aspirational or developmental goals.

Accreditation is recognised as an important driver for safety and quality improvement and Australia’s health accreditation processes are highly regarded internationally. The NSQHS Standards are integral to the accreditation process as they determine how and against what an organisation’s performance will be assessed. Dental practices and services can use the NSQHS Standards as part of their internal quality assurance mechanisms or as part of an external accreditation process.

Why does it matter?

It’s a big deal because unlike their public sector colleagues who must be accredited, private practices are not required to undergo the same procedure. If the dental practice you attend has accredited itself, that means they have, of their own volition and expense, voluntarily committed to continuously improve safety and quality for patients.  Accredited practices must comply with an enormous amount of legislative guidelines, standards and requirements.

What does accreditation involve?

In dentistry, practices must meet the first six of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards. Once the practice has completed all the required documentation, they are assessed by an independent accreditation agency who awards the accreditation.

Next time you visit us, keep an eye out for our accreditation certificate, and be sure to congratulate the staff on going through the process. It’s involved a huge amount of work for them, all in the name of improving your experience.

At ONiA we offer our patients peace of mind and the highest level of safety and quality…not forgetting all the fun stuff too