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(Hamilton, Bermuda, Wednesday, 3rd May 2023) - The Bermuda Health Council registers and licenses various health businesses and conducts inspections of facilities, equipment and associated policies and procedures. These processes ensure adherence to safety standards and practice guidelines, and compliance with registration, licensing and legislated requirements.
In support of growing regulatory responsibilities, the Health Council has created an inspectorate of individuals with various areas of expertise including: nursing, financing, pharmaceuticals and associated supplies, accessibility, physical therapy, occupational therapy, environmental health, fire and safety, nutrition, dementia, and mental health. To build on this, the Health Council will recruit for experts in medical physics, clinical laboratory sciences, and process and programme improvement, in the coming months.
Ja-Mae Smith, BSW MPA, Programme Manager, Bermuda Health Council noted: This is an exciting time to be a part of shaping the health system in Bermuda. Inspections, audits and regular reporting are a necessary part of effective monitoring to ensure quality care and efficient service delivery and utilization.
We are grateful for the services provided by the current members of the inspectorate and we look forward to future opportunities to include additional areas of expertise in support of the Health Council’s growing regulatory functions.
Dr. Ricky C. Brathwaite, PhD MS MSHS, CEO, Bermuda Health Council noted: Regulations that govern health care can seem overwhelming, especially when there has not been consistent monitoring and evaluation of the system over time. However, this is a major remit of the Health Council -- along with enhancing the delivery of health services, and ensuring that there is proper coordination and integration of those services.
Healthcare is a critical societal service and within it there has to be a constant leveling of balance sought between the supply of quality services and the demand for necessary care. Decisions that are not based on understanding the interrelatedness of the system can lead to destabilization of that balance and negative economic impacts. The Health Council is using an inspectorate to ensure that we are in front of observable and measureable issues, instead of being reactive when the problems have already hit the fan. As the market can be complex, we want to make sure that we have the right people in place that can quickly assess and report on how we can best keep progress towards improving population health as a realistic goal.
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