The Bermuda Hospitals Board announced yesterday that it had earned accreditation in a preliminary report from Accreditation Canada.

While the Board will have to wait six months before a final report is issued, the preliminary report was positive overall, according to the Board, with only a few areas needing improvement at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute.

Accreditation Canada, formerly the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation, praised the hospitals' infection control programme, home care programme, management programme and clinical education, noting improved physician relations and finances.

Improvements suggested by the report included a new booking and scheduling process, greater investments in improving its current facilities and increasing the number of staff, an issue the board is already seeking to improve.

"Sixty positions have been approved by the Board for this year's budget, most of which are in front line care," according to a press release from the Board.

While the report itself has not been released to the public, the Board is expected to approve the release later this week in the interests of openness and transparency. Should the report be released publicly, it will be the first accreditation report released by the Board.

Herman Tucker, chairman of the BHB, was proud of the accreditation, and sees the criticism as a helpful aid in improving services.

"The accreditation process is vital for our hospitals as it maintains a constant focus of improving our clinical quality," said Mr. Tucker. "Maintaining accreditation is not a once every three years achievement, but a work of constant improvement and measurement."