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Information about the THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION(s) in your country/region

1. COUNTRY/REGION: ...Belgium, Flanders........................................................................................

Website of the supervisory organisation: www.zorginspectie.be

Is this website in English or partly in English? Yes/No......there is a brief overview in English and in French......................................

Contactperson(s)

o Name and function..........dr.. Carine BOONEN, senior policy advisor-quality coördinator..........................................................................

Address.....Koning Albert-II laan 35, box 31 1030 Brussels BELGIUM....................................................................................................

Email.....carine.boonen@zorginspectie.be........................................................................................................

Telephone number ...0032 2 553 36 29................................

Mobile phone 0032 478 56 39 24.............................

2. THE STRUCTURE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION(s)

o The Head of the Supervisory Organisation (name and function) .............Mrs. Kristel GEVAERT, administrator-general................................................................................................

o Size of the Supervisory Organisation:

Number of inspections/supervisions or number of inspectors or number of full time equivalents of people working in the organisation; number of hospitals or health institutions under supervision.................................................................

......supervision of 3000 organisations in the field of health and welfare.....in Flanders and in Brussels.....................................................................................................

o Number of people working in the organisation ......................................

........110 people: 80 inspectors, 20 directors-senior staff-ICT, 10 secretariat.......................................................................................................

o Other relevant information about the Supervisory Organisation in your

country or region ..................................................................................

......supervision of matters allocated to Flemish region only.......................................................................................................

o Relation with the Department of Health....the Inspectorate reports directly to the Flemish Minister of Public Health, Welfare and Family........................................

o Web address.....www.vlaanderen.be/ministers/Jo Vandeurzen................................................

3. THE SCOPE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION(s)

o Is there supervision on health care in general? ........................................

...Supervision of matters allocated to Flanders only. No supervision of matters under supervision of the federal government ..........................................................................................................

o Is there supervision on hospitals?.......Yes....................................................

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o Is there supervision on other health care institutions like nursing homes/

convalescent homes? ........................................................................

......Yes, nursing homes, homes for disabled persons, care for juvenile offenders and child care, general and local welfare work, volunteer work, institutions combating poverty, overall family care, sheltered housing, .......................................................................................................

o Is there supervision on the production and the use of medicines?

....this is under the supervision of the federal government........................................................................................................

o Is there a supervisory relation with health care professionals?

If yes, what kind of relation?...............................................................

......remains federal competence......................................................................................................

o Other relevant information about the scope of the supervisory organisation.

.....the sixth state reform is ongoing and will change some competences.. details to be worked out......................................................................................................

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4. METHODS OF INSPECTATION OR SUPERVISION

o What methods of inspection or supervision are used in your country/region? ......Audits of hospitals by civil servants (doctors and nurses) recently have been replaced by a new type of inspectorate in combination with accreditation of hospitals.Inspectorate always focuses on legislation compliance and quality improvement

o ......................................................................................................

o Other information about the methods of inspection in your country /region

.....Broadening as from legislation compliance to quality improvement......................................................................................................

5. WHAT IS THE COMPETENCE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION IN YOUR COUNTRY?

o Is the supervisory organisation entitled to use compulsory measures

(sanction/repression/enforcement)?.........................................................................

........No, all compulsatory measures are taken by another Agency, the Flermish Agency for Care and Health. Decisions are based on information gathered by Health Care Inspectorate............................................................................................................

o Is the supervisory organisation entitled to take precautions and implement measures to prevent accidents or incidents? ...........................................

No, competences as explained above................................................................................................................

o Does the supervisory organisation have the authority to close institutions

or stop non proper healthcare?.................................................................. .....see above.

o Is the supervisory organisation allowed to interfere in other ways?............

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If yes, in what way? ....................................................................................

..In case of very urgent matters with great risk for health, Inspectorate can forbid activity for seven days...................................................................................................................

o Other relevant information about the competence of the supervisory organisation.................................................................................................

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6. INTERESTING ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS IN YOUR COUNTRY/REGION

...From October 2012 onward, hospitals can decide, on a voluntary basis, to have themselves audited by an international accreditation organisation. The inspectorate will still visit the hospital focusing on quality of care, but without auditing.

As from 2014 on, nursing homes and homes for elderly care are revcieving a recognition for an indefinite period. This gives the opportunity to inspectorate to plan brief and unannounced visits on certain topics of legislation compliance.

Between April 2009 and July 2010, Inspectorate visited institutions for child care, together with the Agency for education . Focus was on children’s rights legislation................................................................................