Patient Safety

Exceptional clinical outcomes and uncompromised patient safety across our network.

Patient Safety and Quality at NMC Healthcare

At NMC, our foundation is built around exceptional clinical outcomes and uncompromised patient safety, which drive everything we do. Our philosophy is simple and we believe that every patient deserves the highest standards of care, delivered consistently and safely across our entire network. This commitment is reflected across our brand including our clinical practices, our investments in technology and our pursuit of global accreditations.

Setting Global Benchmarks: Our JCI Enterprise Accreditation

Setting Global Benchmarks: Our JCI Enterprise Accreditation

NMC proudly became the first healthcare provider globally to earn the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) Enterprise Accreditation in 2025, under the 'Continuous' Survey methodology. This accreditation is a badge of honour and a guarantee that every patient to walk into a clinic in Dubai, a hospital in Abu Dhabi or a facility in Sharjah will experience the same unified standards of exceptional care. This places us among an elite group of only 13 organisations worldwide to hold JCI Enterprise Accreditation. This serves as a testament to our unwavering commitment to patient safety and quality across our entire network of over 70 facilities.

A Culture of Continuous Clinical Excellence

Our pursuit of excellence is a continuous journey at NMC, one that never stops. We launched four major accreditation initiatives for 2026-27, further strengthening our clinical foundations. We are pursuing the WHO-UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) across all our multi-specialty hospitals. We are completing the JCI Clinical Care Program Certification (CCPC), enhancing emergency readiness and high-acuity care at key facilities. Our dedication to clinical excellence is always active and are currently in the process of seeking accreditation for specialised geriatric emergency services. This aims to standardise medical education and clinical governance across our network. Initiatives as such reflect our dedication to deliver world-class care at every stage of life.

Our Core Patient Safety Framework

International Patient Safety Goals (IPSG)

We adhere to the JCI International Patient Safety Goals which is fundamental to our daily operations. We strictly monitor and enforce six core goals to protect our patients.

  1. Correct Patient Identification

    We use a rigorous two-identifier process to ensure every patient receives the correct treatment.

  2. Improve Effective Communication

    We use standardised tools like ISBAR (Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) to ensure seamless and safe handover of patient care. This is further supported by structured processes for the timely communication, documentation and escalation of critical test results, as well as strict protocols for verbal and telephone orders. This includes mandatory read-back to minimise the risk of communication errors.

  3. Improve the Safety of High-Alert Medications

    We have robust processes in place to manage and administer high-risk medications to prevent errors.

  4. Ensure Correct-Site, Correct-Procedure, Correct-Patient Surgery

    Our surgical teams strictly adhere to the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist Universal Protocol. This includes sign-in, time-out, and sign-out processes to verify patient identity, procedure and surgical site, ensuring comprehensive surgical safety and zero tolerance for preventable errors.

  5. Reduce the Risk of Healthcare-Associated Infections

    We are relentless in our commitment to infection prevention. We do this through strict hand hygiene compliance, adherence to evidence-based infection control practices and consistent implementation of standard and transmission-based precautions across all care settings.

Rigorous Infection Control Protocols

  • We follow a zero-tolerance approach to prevent healthcare-associated infections, ensuring the highest standards of safety for patients, staff and visitors.

  • Our Infection Prevention and Control practices are guided by evidence-based protocols and aligned with international standards. Strict hand hygiene, appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and adherence to aseptic techniques are mandatory across all clinical areas.

  • An organisation-wide Infection Prevention and Control Committee oversees governance, monitoring, and continuous improvement of infection control practices. This includes regular surveillance activities, policy updates and performance review across all facilities.

  • We conduct regular and ongoing risk assessments, including annual infection control risk assessments and continuous monitoring of emerging risks, to proactively identify and mitigate potential infection threats.

  • All patient care areas, including operating theatres and intensive care units, are designed to support optimal infection prevention. Advanced air filtration systems, along with strict environmental cleaning and disinfection protocols, further reduce the risk of infection.

  • Continuous staff education, compliance audits and improvement initiatives reinforce our commitment to maintaining a safe and infection-free healthcare environment.

Continuous Monitoring and Clinical Governance

We maintain a robust system of clinical governance, under the supervision of internal quality committees and regular clinical audits. Our Chief Clinical Officer and medical boards play an active role reviewing patient outcomes and data tracking. This helps ensure our standards are consistently met and improved upon. A framework like this ensures accountability and helps us continuously improve the quality of our services.

Empowering Patients: Speak Up for Your Safety

We believe that patient safety is a partnership. We encourage all our patients to take an active role in their care. We encourage questions about medications and before any procedure, all patient identities are verified by our staff. We also have an open-door policy where patients can report any concerns they may have. Our patients voice and feedback are essential and help us provide the safest care possible.

For patient feedback or quality suggestions, please use our confidential digital feedback form. Our team can also be contacted via the Contact Us page.

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