The Bermuda Hospitals Board has been awarded full accreditation, placing it alongside the top 20 percent of Canadian hospitals.In July, it was announced that BHB met with 98 percent of applicable standards, and needed to meet several conditions before reaching full accreditation from Accreditation Canada.A BHB Spokesman said that those conditions were met, and on November 7 the board achieved full accreditation, meaning the BHB’s facilities and staff are adhering to more than 2,600 patient safety and quality standards.Accreditation surveyors reportedly checked that the BHB was administering medicine safely to patients, preventing falls, ensuring surgical checklists are in place and working to prevent the spread of hospital-acquired infections.Chairman of the Board Herman Tucker said: “I am extremely pleased to see BHB achieve full accreditation. Accreditation ensures that quality improvement is an every day focus.“It gives us an international benchmark against which we can measure our progress, but more importantly it gives the community independent confirmation from an internationally-recognised body that the quality of our services is comparable to the best hospitals in Canada.”Deputy CEO Venetta Symonds added: “We know that the hard work is not to maintain the standard, but to improve on it every day for the good of the Bermuda community.“People in Bermuda have a right to know how the quality of their local service at BHB measures up to some of the best hospitals overseas.”She also said the accreditation would help the BHB attract quality healthcare professionals to the Island.