4.3.2 Hospital or treatment unit characteristics for providing safe and quality care
These include:
- a clearly defined path to emergency care and advice after hours
- access to basic haematology and biochemistry testing
- cytotoxic drugs prepared in a pharmacy with appropriate facilities
- occupational health and safety guidelines regarding handling of cytotoxic drugs, including safe prescribing, preparation, dispensing, supplying, administering, storing, manufacturing, compounding and monitoring the effects of medicines (ACSQHC 2011)
- guidelines and protocols to deliver treatment safely (including dealing with extravasation of drugs)
- appropriate nursing and theatre resources to manage complex surgery
- 24-hour medical staff availability
- 24-hour operating room access
- specialist pathology
- in-house access to radiology
- an intensive care unit
- trained radiotherapy nurses, physicists and therapists
- access to CT/MRI scanning for simulation and planning
- mechanisms for coordinating combined therapy (chemotherapy and radiation therapy), especially where the facility is not collocated
- access to allied health, especially nutrition health and advice.