Institute of Quality Assurance allies with leading healthcare body
The Association for Quality in Healthcare has merged with the Institute of Quality Assurance (IQA) to become IQA Health and Social Care Group, bringing expertise from the professional quality world to healthcare issues.
Ray Rowden, Vice Chair, IQA health and social care comments: "The government has attempted to put the improvement of quality in the NHS at the top of the agenda with good reason. We know from a variety of sources that performance in the NHS is inexplicably variable. Mishaps and, on occasions incompetence, cause avoidable damage and death to patients. With increased public expectations and a burgeoning litigation bill the NHS has to deliver more consistent quality of care."
The new body will encourage health sector workers from all backgrounds and disciplines to exchange views quality agenda. IQA membership for health and social care professionals will provide access to a wider network of knowledge in the area of service quality and support cross-sector learning. IQA will also provide access to accredited training and professional qualifications relating to quality for health professionals.
The IQA Health and Social Care Group will be launched formally at Q2002, the World Quality Congress in Harrogate, from 29 September - 1 October. Speakers include Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, Professor Aidan Halligan, NHS Director of Clinical Governance and Peter Homa, Chief Executive of the Commission for Health Improvement.
Delegates who wish to attend Q2002 should contact Georgina LeHeup, conference administrator, tel +44 (0)20 7245 6722, e-mail: gleheup@iqa.org
For IQA Health and Social Care Group membership enquiries, please contact the IQA membership department, tel +44 (0)20 7245 6866, email: membership@iqa.org
Ends
For press information, please contact Louise Daniels/Tony Bloomer, Corixa Communications Tel: 0117 949 3394 email: louise.daniels@corixa.co.uk
Date of issue: 18 September 2002