The Perchera health centre in Gijón has made history by becoming the first facility in Asturias to receive ISO quality certification. This milestone was reached after successfully passing an external audit in July, which verified compliance with the necessary standards for accreditation.
This recognition underscores the quality of the public healthcare network and is largely attributed to a continuous improvement programme implemented at the centre over recent years. Currently, the health centre serves 16,200 patients and employs a team of 35 professionals, including seven administrative staff, a porter, an auxiliary nurse, 11 nurses, two paediatricians, a midwife, two physiotherapists, and 10 family doctors. Additionally, it has a social worker, a dentist, and a clinical psychologist who share their services with another health centre.
Preparing for compliance with the ISO standards involved weekly meetings with the Quality Unit of Area III and passing a prior internal audit conducted by technical staff from the Health Service of the Principality of Asturias (Sespa). The Perchera health centre is the first to obtain this comprehensive quality seal in Asturias, although the Nursing Service for Primary Care had already received this accreditation at the first level of care.
In recent years, several units and services at the Cabueñes University Hospital in Gijón have also achieved this certification, including Vascular Angiology, User Care, the Diabetology Education Unit, Porters, Oral Health, the Haematology Laboratory, the Blood Bank, and the Supplies area.
“The Perchera health centre had been working on management processes for some time, and we believed it was ready to take the leap for certification,” said Iván Pidal, director of Health Care and Evaluation in Area III. “We are very pleased and proud to be the first centre in Asturias to achieve this. It is a testament not only to the team at the centre, who dedicated themselves to this effort, but also to the community we serve,” he added.
Isabel Fernández, coordinator of the Perchera health centre, noted the improvement plan initiated in 2022, which laid the groundwork for the ISO accreditation. “We set objectives for improvement and gradually introduced changes, including a small operating room, ultrasound services, and various health programmes. There was also significant internal training for professionals,” she explained.
The plan aimed to enhance the organisation of the work already being carried out at the health facility. “We have seen a remarkable improvement in indicators,” highlighted Alicia Marcos, Quality Manager at the centre. “The protocol prevents errors and provides safety for both professionals and patients, enhancing the quality of the system,” she emphasised.
“The work has been diversified. There is a professional responsible for training, another for teaching, and nursing takes care of materials and equipment, among many other tasks. This ensured that everyone is familiar with the ISO standards and understands how to work accordingly,” Marcos concluded.
The extension of ISO certification to primary care brings the quality management system to the first level of care and reinforces the commitment to continuous improvement of all processes that directly impact patients. With the incorporation of ISO 9001:2015 certification, the health area strengthens its positioning as a results-oriented, safe, efficient, and patient-centred organisation, consolidating a line of work that will continue to expand to other units and strategic projects.
