Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
BreastScreen Australia Program
Photos of Women

Updating BreastScreen Australia's Accreditation System

BreastScreen Australia is a highly successful program. There has been a reduction in breast cancer mortality of approximately 25 per cent since the program commenced in 1991. This success is underpinned by a comprehensive accreditation system, which has not been updated since it was introduced in 1994. To ensure high quality breast screening services to Australian women into the future, the BreastScreen Australia Accreditation Review Committee has been convened to revise the accreditation system.

What is involved in the current accreditation system?

Accreditation is the process that evaluates the overall performance of a service. Each of the 32 dedicated BreastScreen Australia services are regularly reviewed to ensure they are providing a high quality service. The performance of every BreastScreen Australia service is measured by assessing how closely it meets a set of nationally agreed standards.

All services must participate in the accreditation process to be part of BreastScreen Australia. The accreditation system includes checking that services meet the standards through site visits, self-assessment and reports to the accrediting body. Services are only accredited if they are providing an acceptable quality of service.

Further information on the accreditation system can be found within the BreastScreen Australia Accreditation Handbook.

Why does the accreditation system need updating?

BreastScreen Australia is proud of the current accreditation system, which has served the program and women well since 1994. However, the science of cancer is one of the most rapidly changing areas in health. Since BreastScreen Australia commenced in 1991, there have been significant advances in cancer detection, treatment and outcomes, and changes in the demographics of women participating in screening. In addition, quality management and improvement are ongoing processes that have evolved along with BreastScreen Australia since its inception.

The establishment of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare has resulted in a great deal of work on the accreditation needs of health services within Australia. This has provided an opportunity to re examine the currency and efficiency of BreastScreen Australia’s accreditation and quality management systems.
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This project reflects BreastScreen Australia’s commitment to continuous quality improvement, through reviewing and updating integral components of the program to support the continued provision of high quality services.

What is involved in updating the accreditation system?

BreastScreen Australia provides women with access to high quality breast screening services. The purpose of the review is to enhance the current accreditation system, increasing its efficiency, while ensuring the continued safety and quality of the program. This project will not impact upon BreastScreen Australia policies.

The work will be overseen by the BreastScreen Australia Accreditation Review Committee. This committee comprises experts in screening, safety, quality and client care, including health professionals, a consumer and government representatives. The Accreditation Review Committee will work with staff from within BreastScreen Australia and with its clients to identify the needs of the revised accreditation system, focusing on client safety and quality improvement.

The committee will update all elements of the accreditation system, including:
  • the current BreastScreen Australia National Accreditation Standards;
  • the accreditation process, including site visit arrangements and support, data audits, reporting and accreditation categories;
  • accreditation governance arrangements, such as the roles and membership of the bodies responsible for accreditation of BreastScreen Australia services at the state and national level.
The committee will also develop and introduce a National Quality Improvement Framework.

It is anticipated that the revised system will be launched mid-2013, following a pilot of the revisions.

How will the update affect me as a client of BreastScreen?

As a client of BreastScreen Australia, you can be assured that the services you access are of the highest quality both now and into the future. There will not be any noticeable changes to the way in which you are currently provided screening. Instead, this review will focus on enhancing the processes that support quality improvement and accreditation for the program and its staff.

Women over the age of 40 can book an appointment for a free two-yearly screening mammogram, or find out more about the program, by calling 13 20 50.Top of page

How will the update affect me as staff member or service provider for BreastScreen?

If you are a staff member of, or a service provider for, BreastScreen Australia, there will be no changes to the accreditation system until June 2013. It is anticipated that the updates to the accreditation system will result in a streamlined accreditation system that focuses on continual quality improvement.

There will be opportunities for you to comment on the revised accreditation system through open consultation.

How can I get involved in the update?

The Accreditation Review Committee is keen to provide stakeholders, including BreastScreen service staff, clinicians, consumers and policy makers, the opportunity to contribute to the review.

To date, the Accreditation Review Committee has sought suggestions on the future accreditation system from each jurisdiction through BreastScreen Program Managers and service staff, and the BreastScreen Australia National Quality Management Committee.

The Accreditation Review Committee has also established time limited working groups with expertise in the accreditation system to revise the National Accreditation Standards, accreditation process and accreditation governance requirements.

The next opportunity for you to provide input into the review will be through open consultation to take place early in 2012. Through this consultation, you can provide feedback on the draft revisions to the accreditation system. Further details will be provided in the coming months.

Should you have any comments prior to this time, or at any stage throughout the review, you can e-mail the Accreditation Review Committee at: BSA.Accreditation@health.gov.au.

BreastScreen Australia staff might like to consult with or copy their Program Manager regarding any feedback.

Page currency, Latest update: 03 February, 2012