Healthcare quality and standards | Forward Health
Abuja, Nigeria and Birmingham, United Kingdom info@forwardhealthltd.com

Healthcare quality and standards

International standards, put into daily practice

We help hospitals, health insurers, laboratories and manufacturers understand what international standards ask of them and build the systems to meet them, starting with ISO 7101.

  • Built on the AIHSDFâ„¢ framework, developed by Dr Emmanuel Agogo
  • Starting with ISO 7101, the international standard for healthcare quality management
  • Led by a physician with NHS quality improvement experience
Clinicians on a hospital ward
Laboratory scientist carrying out quality control
90 daysfor an ISO 7101 readiness assessment, gap report and roadmap

Quality you can demonstrate

Patients, insurers, regulators and investors increasingly want proof that care is safe and well run. ISO 7101, published in 2023, gives healthcare organisations a shared international framework for managing quality.

It is new, and few providers in West Africa have started using it. Starting early lets you shape your systems now rather than rush later.

  • A clear starting pointA readiness assessment shows where you stand and what to fix first.
  • Standards linked to outcomesOur framework connects each requirement to patient care, not paperwork.
  • Practical, not theoreticalRoadmaps sized to your resources, with training for the people who carry them out.
Hospital quality team reviewing a checklist

What we offer

We are introducing this service in stages. ISO 7101 support is available now, with laboratory, device and sterilisation standards to follow.

Available now

ISO 7101 readiness assessment

A structured review of your organisation against ISO 7101, the international standard for healthcare quality management.

What you receive
  • Document review and site assessment
  • Gap report against each requirement
  • Prioritised implementation roadmap
Available now

Quality improvement support

Help putting your roadmap into practice, from policies and processes to measurement.

What you receive
  • Quality management system design
  • Patient safety and clinical governance
  • Indicators and progress reviews
Available now

Training for your teams

In-house training that helps clinical and management teams understand and apply quality standards.

What you receive
  • Leadership and board briefings
  • Practical workshops for staff
  • Materials your team can reuse
Coming next

Laboratory quality

Support for laboratories working towards ISO 15189 for quality and competence.

Planned support
  • Readiness assessment
  • Quality system roadmap
Coming next

Medical device quality and risk

Guidance for manufacturers and importers on ISO 13485 and ISO 14971.

Planned support
  • Quality system review
  • Risk management guidance
Coming next

Sterilisation and infection prevention

Advice on sterilisation and infection prevention standards, including ISO 11135, ISO 11137 and ISO 17665.

Planned support
  • Process review
  • Improvement plan

How a readiness assessment works

A fixed-scope engagement that gives you a clear picture and a realistic plan in about 90 days.

  1. Weeks 1 to 2

    Kick-off

    We agree scope and contacts, and collect your existing policies and data.

  2. Weeks 3 to 6

    Assess

    We visit your sites, observe care processes and interview leaders and staff.

  3. Weeks 7 to 9

    Analyse

    We compare what we find with each ISO 7101 requirement.

  4. Weeks 10 to 12

    Report

    You receive a gap report and a prioritised, costed roadmap.

  5. Week 13

    Brief

    We present findings to your leadership and agree next steps.

Certification is carried out by independent, accredited certification bodies. We help you prepare so you are ready when you choose to be assessed.

The AIHSDF framework: six domains of care around the patient service delivery cycle
The AIHSDFâ„¢ framework, developed by Dr Emmanuel Agogo

Our method: the AIHSDFâ„¢ framework

Standards can feel abstract. Our Integrated Healthcare Service Delivery Framework ties each one to a domain of care and to the patient journey, so teams can see what a requirement means on the ward, in the lab and at the front desk.

Governance and healthcare qualityISO 7101
Patient-centred clinical careISO 7101
Diagnostics and laboratory servicesISO 15189
Medical devices and technologyISO 13485, ISO 14971
Device and patient safetyISO 10993, ISO 14155
Sterilisation and infection preventionISO 11135, ISO 11137, ISO 17665

Relevant experience behind this service

  • Quality leadership in the NHSLed quality improvement for an inner-city Birmingham practice, reaching top-quartile performance on national quality metrics.
  • Laboratory systems at national scaleHelped establish a BSL-2 national reference laboratory at NCDC and led a 185-site molecular diagnostics rollout.
  • Global standards into local practiceCoordinated national approval of HIV treatment guidelines aligned with WHO standards.

Explore the full framework

Who we work with

  • Private hospitals and clinic groupsQuality management, patient safety and accreditation readiness
  • HMOs and health insurersConfidence in the quality of provider networks
  • LaboratoriesQuality systems for accurate, reliable results
  • Medical device manufacturers and importersGuidance on quality and risk standards
  • Public facilities and ministriesQuality programmes across public health services
  • Investors in healthcareQuality due diligence for healthcare investments

Ways to work with us

Start with a readiness assessment, then choose the support that fits.

Start here

ISO 7101 readiness assessment

A fixed-scope, fixed-price review with a gap report and roadmap in about 90 days.

Next step

Implementation support

Ongoing help putting your roadmap into practice.

Training

In-house training

Two to three days of practical training for clinical and management teams.

Leadership

Board briefings

A short briefing for boards and executives on what ISO 7101 means for them.

Dr Emmanuel Agogo

MBBS, MTropMed, MSc, FRCGP, HonMFPH, MIoD

Led by Dr Emmanuel Agogo

Dr Agogo is a physician and Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners. In the NHS he led quality improvement and practice operations to top-quartile performance on national quality metrics, and he developed the AIHSDFâ„¢ framework to connect international standards with patient outcomes.

What is ISO 7101?

ISO 7101 is the international standard for healthcare quality management systems, published in 2023. It sets out how a healthcare organisation should manage quality across leadership, patient care, risk and continual improvement.

Can you certify our hospital?

No. Certification is done by independent, accredited certification bodies. We help you prepare, so you are ready when you decide to be assessed.

Do we need to be a large hospital to benefit?

No. The readiness assessment is sized to your organisation, whether you run one clinic or a group of hospitals.

How long does it take to become ready?

It depends on where you start. The readiness assessment gives you a realistic timeline and the steps to get there.

What about ISO 15189, ISO 13485 or sterilisation standards?

These are coming next. Get in touch to register your interest and we will contact you when support is available.

Ready to see where you stand on quality?

Start with a 30-minute introductory call about an ISO 7101 readiness assessment.