01 December 2021
The Quality Review Scheme (QRS) accreditation service helps rheumatology services develop and improve patient care and experience. To gain accreditation, a service undergoes an assessment of how well it meets QRS accreditation standards. These are the first UK-wide best practice standards that focus specifically on rheumatology services.
QRS Assessors
QRS assessors conduct inspections of rheumatology services. Each inspection team is formed of at least one clinician, one nurse or allied health professional, one rheumatology patient and a BSR assessor.
A standard inspection team will consist of five assessors:
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1x lead assessor
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3x team assessor
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1x BSR assessor
For larger services, a larger inspection team may be used.
Inspections
To gain accreditation, a rheumatology service undergoes an assessment against QRS accreditation standards. The assessment consists of an online review of evidence provided by the service, as well as a one-day onsite assessment. The assessment team reviews facilities, speaks with managers, staff and patients and reviews any other relevant evidence.
At the end of the day, a summary of the initial findings is discussed. The BSR assessor draws up an inspection report from the notes and evidence collated by the lead and team assessors. The inspection report is then submitted to the QRS accreditation panel for consideration.
Pandemic changes: during COVID-19, inspections are adapted to a blend of online and onsite review. Meetings with managers, staff and patients are held online as is the evidence review. The lead assessor and BSR assessor visit onsite for half a day to review the facilities and any evidence that cannot be shared online.
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