'There has been great leadership and staff commitment'

The Qikiqtani General Hospital should regain its accreditation soon, says Tagak Curley, Nunavut's health minister.

The official accreditation decision and report should be received in six months, Curley said in a news release March 27.

The Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation refused to grant accreditation to the hospital in late 2005, when it was still lodged in its old 1960s-era building.

The accreditation process is voluntary, but still carries clout in medical circles because many health professionals are reluctant to work in hospitals that don't meet standards.

The move to withhold accreditation in 2005 meant the hospital did not meet national standards. Until then, the health services council had granted it accreditation since the early 1990s.

To get accreditation from the council, a hospital must meet certain minimum standards.

The most important criteria are quality and risk to patients, which the council defines as the risk of "danger, loss or injury."

In 2005, the council found there were no or inadequate plans for:

• infection control;
• pain management;
• disaster or emergencies.

They also found:

• poor internal communication;
• poor communication with clients:
• no complaint mechanism for clients;
• poor health promotion; and
• poor staff morale.

Understaffing was also an issue, the council's report noted, causing frustration, absenteeism, low morale, stress, resignations, and sub-standard patient care.

A number of improvements have been made to the hospital since it flunked its review in 2005.

Curley said there is better risk management and quality control systems in place.

And the hospital is new. It has updated its policies and procedures. There's now an infection control program as well as a complaint process – and 26 needed positions have been filled, Curley said.

"There has been great leadership and staff commitment in preparing the hospital for this process, and we are very, very excited by this news," said Curley.

"We want all Nunavummiut to know we meet national standards, accreditation is an on-going process, and we are committed to continued quality healthcare."

Curley said Qikiqtani General Hospital was also recognized in the accreditation survey for the study of fetal fibronectin, a screening tool to identify pre-term labour.