NABH Accreditation

NABH accreditation requires key approvals such as Hospital Registration Certificate, Drug Licence (Form 20 & 21), Biomedical Waste Authorisation, Fire Safety NOC, PCB Consent (CTE & CTO), AERB licence for radiology, Blood Bank Licence (if applicable), and approvals for lifts, DG sets, and generators from competent authorities.

The NABH accreditation process includes a gap analysis to assess readiness, followed by selection of the appropriate accreditation Programme. A complete set of quality manuals and SOPs is then developed, along with staff training and formation of the Hospital Quality Committee (HQC). After this, the application is filed on the NABH portal, and a pre-assessment audit is conducted to address gaps. Finally, the NABH team carries out the on-site inspection, and upon successful evaluation, the accreditation certificate is issued.

To obtain NABH accreditation, the hospital must be a legally registered entity and operational for at least 6 months, with valid Clinical Establishment registration and all required licences (Drug, BMW, Fire NOC, Pollution, etc.). It should have NABH-compliant SOPs and Quality Manual, a designated Quality Manager, and a trained Hospital Quality Committee (HQC). The facility must maintain at least 3 months of patient safety data, follow standard treatment guidelines, and ensure no pending legal or regulatory actions. A functional HMIS with audit trail and data privacy compliance (DPDP Act, 2023) is also required.

Post-NABH certification compliances include mandatory surveillance audits (mid-cycle at 18 months for full accreditation or biennial for entry/progressive levels), quarterly submission of KPI reports covering patient safety indicators, clinical outcomes, HAI surveillance, mortality trends, and complaint data. Hospitals must apply for re-accreditation at least 6 months before certificate expiry (validity is typically 3 years), and any major changes, such as new services, expansion, or leadership changes, must be reported to NABH within 30 days.

The different types of NABH accreditation include Hospital Accreditation for maintaining quality and patient safety standards, Laboratory Accreditation to ensure accurate and reliable test results, Blood Bank Accreditation for safe transfusion services, AYUSH Accreditation for traditional healthcare systems like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homoeopathy, and Quality Management Systems (QMS) Accreditation to assess quality management practices in healthcare organizations.

While NABH accreditation standards cover a wide range of areas, they ensure that the healthcare facilities in India meet the highest standards of patient safety. Some of the key NABH standards include Patient Rights and Education, Clinical Care and Patient Safety, Infection Control and Waste Management, Facility Management and Safety Accreditation, Human Resource Management, and Continuous Quality Improvement.

No, NABH accreditation is not a one-time phenomenon. The eligible entities must go through continuous compliance with NABH standards to maintain accreditation status. Every accredited healthcare facility must undergo a periodic assessment and surveillance audit to meet the compliance requirements and to stay relevant in the market. The NABH accreditation typically lasts for three years, after which the facility must apply for re-accreditation.

NABH, which stands for the National Accreditation Board for Hospital & Healthcare Providers, is a certification awarded to healthcare institutions that meet the standard quality measures as set by the National Accreditation Board for Hospital & Healthcare Providers (NABH). Its objective is to ensure that hospitals in India implement patient safety protocols, ensuring a high-quality healthcare facility.