ANAESTHETISTS at Bradford Teaching Hospitals have been honoured for providing the highest quality care to patients across the district.

The doctors recently received the prestigious Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation (ACSA) from the Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) for meeting its strict safety criteria across all their services.

To qualify for accreditation, the medics are expected to achieve a high benchmark in areas such as patient experience, patient safety and clinical leadership.

Fewer than 25 per cent of all hospitals across the UK currently hold the award.

Consultant anaesthetist and accreditation lead who is based at Bradford Royal Infirmary, Dr Maria Garside, said: "We are absolutely delighted and incredibly proud to see Bradford Teaching Hospitals’ name included on the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ website as one of their accredited trusts.

“Fewer than 25 per cent of all the 172 anaesthetic departments across UK hospitals have secured this award and it demonstrates the very high standards our anaesthesia service places on quality and safety.

“We had to meet a mammoth 140+ standards and it’s taken us just over two years to achieve this accreditation - as the project’s completion was delayed due to the pandemic – but it’s a day to celebrate as colleagues strive to provide outstanding care to the people of Bradford.”

As well as intensive care and theatres, the trust’s 50 plus anaesthetists work across maternity, the emergency department, radiology and cardiology.