Quality standards for healthcare establishments in South Africa

Abstract

This chapter traces the development of quality standards and associated methods for bringing about improvements in healthcare facilities across the globe, with a specific focus on their development in South Africa. The evolution of State legislation and programmes to improve the quality and safety of health care is described, with a focus on development of the National Core Standards (NCS). The genesis and functions of the South African Office of Health Standards Compliance are discussed, as are possible complementary interactions between accreditation standards and the proposed NCS. Different definitions of accreditation are considered, while fast-tracking as a strategy to expedite the establishment of functional quality improvement programmes is described.