Securing patient safety through quality assurance in a mixed economy of healthcare: The role of accreditation

Independent accreditation is the third component of comprehensive regulatory systems of countries with a mixed economy of healthcare provision such as the United States and Australia. Now that the Health and Social Care Act 2013 is fueling more pluralistic provider and commissioner models in England, this article explores the case for requiring all suppliers of publicly funded healthcare to be formally accredited. In doing so, it sets out the benefits of independent accreditation, describes the international market including the UK-based accreditation bodies, lists some NHS providers who have already opted to be accredited and sets out a proposed way forward based on the recent experience of South Africa.