A hospital function* is a type of hospital-wide service. Hospital functions are transversal in nature and transcend the various hospital departments. For instance:

Flanders:
You can find an overview of the hospital functions recognised in Flanders here.

Recognition

Also in relation to the various hospital functions* recognition standards* have been laid down. Specific standards on the design of hospital pharmacies, the tasks of hospital pharmacists, the organisation of this department and the medicines and medical equipment consultative bodies have for instance been put in place.

Monitoring and evaluation
 

  • ​Common Community Commission (Brussels)

    The standards are checked by the inspection service and the health service of the Common Community Commission annually. In addition, there are inspections carried out when there is a change in the number of beds, a new manager, a change in the asbl such as the name of the asbl, address or the location.

  • Flanders

    Checking hospital functions is part of the hospital inspection and audit process.

  • Walloon Region

The services offered in the hospitals of Wallonia (except for the German-speaking Community) and in the four French-speaking university hospitals (St Luc Woluwé, Erasme, Liège and Mont-Godinne) are subject to the same approval requirements as all other hospital areas.

For the Walloon Region and the four French-speaking university hospitals (St Luc Woluwé, Erasme, Liège and Mont-Godinne), see the portal "Action Sociale et Santé en Wallonie".  
 

  • German-speaking Community 

Controlling hospital functions is part of the inspection and audit process of hospitals.

The German-speaking Community cooperates with the Flemish inspection services, the "Vlaamse Zorginspectie", to carry out inspections in its two hospitals (especially as regards the quality of care).
The control focuses in particular on the quality of care patients receive in these hospitals on a daily basis. Three different levels are concerned : structure, processes and outcomes. Management, strategy and policy, patient safety and the quality system are also regularly monitored throughout the hospital.

Furthermore, both hospitals can also apply for new accreditations from the Ministry of the German-speaking Community.
 

* See Glossary