Certification confirms compliance with international quality standards

The Life Oncology radiotherapy unit at Life Hilton Private Hospital has made history by becoming South Africa’s first private hospital to be awarded the coveted Novalis Circle Certification, joining the prestigious community of hospitals globally that have demonstrated the requisite clinical capabilities and standards for safe and effective treatment delivery.

Novalis Circle is a worldwide network of clinicians dedicated to the advancement of radiosurgery. The network provides communication and collaboration for developing new ideas and optimising cancer treatments. Radiosurgery, also called stereotactic radiosurgery, uses precisely targeted radiation to destroy tissue without cutting.  

 Built on the recommendations of the Novalis Expert Panel, the Novalis Certified program adds value to radiotherapy centres by promoting the independent external review of specialised procedures and workflows, as well as the collaborative approach necessary for high precision radiation treatments. “We are very proud to be Novalis Certified, Novalis is an independent accreditation program that promotes the delivery of cranial (brain and head and neck areas) and extracranial (body) radiosurgery at a level of efficacy and safety commensurate with high standards of clinical practice.

Receiving the certification demonstrates Life Oncology’s Radiotherapy unit at Life Hilton Private Hospital’s commitment to Life Healthcare Group’s purpose of making life better through its patient-centric approach to providing treatment and care of the highest quality. This is indeed a great milestone for us,” says Noeleen Phillipson, Senior Manager New Business at Life Healthcare.

Novalis’ in-depth accreditation is achieved through a rigorous onsite and offsite review process, which focuses on procedures and protocols that are aligned to international standards for benchmarking.

“The process assures that quality checkpoints are in place at the Life Oncology unit in relation to other international centres – providing a review and discussion to offer improvements and key areas for procedural enhancements of services offered at the unit,” Phillipson explains. “Our radiotherapy team has worked tirelessly in the development of work procedures and protocols to ensure compliance to these international standards which we believe will positively impact our cancer patients’ treatment journeys,” Phillipson concluded.

Due to the nature of the radiotherapy services provided and the related potential side-effects of the treatment options, the accreditation serves as a quality assurance measure to ensure that the equipment and services provided at the unit are done so at an optimal level to ensure patient safety. 

Life Oncology, Life Healthcare’s dedicated oncology and radiotherapy service remains committed to providing access high-quality oncology treatments for cancer patients receiving treatment for their disease.

Life Healthcare acknowledges Professor James Robar, the Chief of Medical Physics in Nova Scotia and Director of MSc and PhD Medical Physics programs at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, who served as the Novalis Circle auditor. Our appreciation is extended for his contributions and guidance during the certification process.

More information on Novalis Circle: https://www.novaliscircle.org/certification/

More information on Life Oncology: https://www.lifehealthcare.co.za/patient-information/patient-services/complementary-services/life-oncology/