Hospitals and healthcare services are vital components of any well-ordered and humane society, and will indisputably be the recipients of societal resources. That hospitals should be places of safety, not only for patients but also for the staff and the general public, is of the most significant importance. Quality of hospitals and healthcare services is also of great interest to many other bodies, including governments, NGOs targeting healthcare and social welfare, professional organizations representing doctors, patient organizations and shareholders of companies providing healthcare services.
Accreditation is not just about standard-setting: there are analytical, counselling and self-improvement dimensions to the process. There are similar issues in evidence-based medicine, quality assurance and medical ethics and the reduction of medical error is a vital role of the accreditation process. Accreditation is, therefore, one component in the maintenance of patient safety.