The Scarborough General Hospital Outpatient Department achieved Diamond Standard Certification from the Ministry of Public Administration at an award ceremony held on January 21st, 2015 at the Queen’s Hall Auditorium, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

The Outpatient Clinic was one of eleven teams that achieved the prestigious Diamond Standard Certification.

The Trinidad and Tobago Diamond Standard is an initiative of the Ministry of Public Administration that promotes the National Standard for Excellence in Citizen Service in the Public Service of Trinidad and Tobago. It establishes clear standards for and certifies the quality of service delivery provided to the citizenry by agencies and ministries across the Public Service.

Assemblyman Claudia Groome-Duke, Secretary of Health and Social Services, praised the Department for the achievement. Said Groome-Duke: “This is an opportunity for the entire Division to advance the way in which we interact with our public and to entrench a culture and philosophy of the highest ideals, executed in the way they deserve to be.”

The journey to Diamond Standard takes between nine (9) and twelve (12) months, with three (3) main phases. At each step the Ministry of Public Administration works alongside the organisation, guiding and assisting the service improvement process.

This is done by auditing each step in the service delivery process to determine how efficiently and effectiveness of those processes can be improved, so the organisation can better respond to the needs of the public.

Phase one involves developing a Customer Service Charter and service improvement planning, while phase two deals with improving those services, as well as monitoring performance and delivery.

In the final phase, an in-depth assessment of the Service Improvement Plan is conducted.

The successful organisations are awarded Diamond Standard Certification, and must maintain the required standards of service delivery to remain certified. Certification is valid for three (3) years, following which services must re-apply for certification.