Comprehensive Amendment to Private Hospitals Regulation from the Ministry of Health
Accreditation inspection exemptions, laboratory requirements, and physical standards for private hospitals have been updated with the new regulation published in the Official Gazette.
Comprehensive amendments made to the Private Hospitals Regulation, prepared by the Ministry of Health, have entered into force after being published in the Official Gazette. With the new arrangement, inspection exemptions based on accreditation degrees, technical device requirements, and deviation margins in physical standards have been redefined.
Inspection Exemption Based on Accreditation Degrees
The periods during which private hospitals holding an accreditation certificate issued by the Turkish Health Services Quality and Accreditation Institute will be exempt from routine inspections will vary according to the category of the certificate.
While private hospitals certified in the platinum or gold categories will be exempt from routine inspections for 3 years, those in the silver category will obtain a 2-year exemption, and those in the bronze category will obtain a 1-year exemption.
Technical Device and Equipment Obligations
Along with the regulation regarding the technical equipment required to be kept in hospitals, an obligation has been introduced to keep at least one mobile X-ray or a 500 mA X-ray device.
In the event that the equipment in question is procured through on-site service acquisition, the relevant obligation shall also be deemed fulfilled.
Laboratory Conditions and Staff Allocations
While it has become mandatory for private hospitals to house medical biochemistry or medical microbiology laboratories within their structures, those providing specific services will be able to meet this need through service procurement.
In cases where the required specialist physician staff is not available for laboratory units, staff allocation in the relevant branch can be made by the Ministry upon the request of the hospital.
Physical Standards and Staff Regulations
The deviation margin previously applied as 2 percent in measurements regarding the physical standards of institutions has been increased to 5 percent.
Going for a terminology change regarding specialty staff, the Ministry updated the relevant expressions and reorganized the assignment processes of contracted physicians.
Private Practice Physicians and Exceptions
For interventions by private practice physicians on their patients, provincial health directorates will be able to issue case-based special permits if the contracted hospital lacks the facilities.
The procedures and principles of these permits, covering outside of working hours and holidays, will be clarified by the Ministry, and those licensed before January 30, 2025, will be exempt from certain conditions.