Accreditation at what cost?

Abstract

Analyses the implications of the management of labour for an organization undertaking an accreditation exercise. Considers the King’s Fund Organizational Audit (KFOA) accreditation scheme, which is concerned with process and facilities, and assesses the quality of the hospital environment in which the health care product is supplied. Concludes that, given the current enthusiasm for finding best practice in health care and the ever‐increasing number of cost‐effectiveness analyses of therapeutic interventions, it seems somewhat contradictory that interventions which cover the whole environment in which health care interventions are performed are not treated in the same way.