BSE departmental accreditation is a recognised benchmark of quality and demonstrates that an echo department meets realistic quality standards. Accreditation is suitable for all echo departments, not just those that are large or highly specialised.
What is departmental accreditation?
Departmental accreditation now covers five areas:
- Echo quality
- Transthoracic echo (TTE)
- Transoesophageal echo (TOE)
- Stress echo
- Training
- Emergency echo (developed with the Intensive Care Society)
Since all departments that are of sufficient quality for accreditation will be actively involved in training, echo quality, TTE and training accreditations are prerequisites for the other accreditations.
Departmental accreditation incorporates the BSE Echo Quality Framework (EQF). Although echo quality and departmental accreditation are separate, accredited departments are expected to demonstrate ongoing participation in echo quality accreditation and achieve a minimum of amber in all areas.
Fees
First time accreditation: fixed fee of £800 (from 1st April) whether you apply for one or more areas of departmental accreditation (the fee includes the echo quality analysis).
Re-accreditation: £800 at five years and ten year accreditations (the fee includes the echo quality analysis).
Echo Quality accreditation: Departments who wish to pursue echo quality accreditation only have to pay a fixed fee of £500 (from 1 April).
Process
Please complete the eligibility check to start the departmental or echo quality accreditation process. This doesn't
commit you to applying and you won't need to pay
anything at this stage. Once completed the eligibility check, please email [email protected] for further guidance.
Eligibility check