Having an activity as hospital, form of cooperation between hospitals or hospital activity

Any hospital, partnership between hospitals or hospital activity wishing to operate in the Brussels Capital Region which, due to its organisation, cannot be considered as belonging exclusively to the French Community or the Flemish Community must obtain accreditation from the Common Community Commission (the COCOM). 

Hospital: any healthcare institution as referred to in Articles 2 and 3 of the coordinated Act dated 10 July 2008 relating to hospitals and other care facilities.

Form of hospital partnership: any form of regulated hospital partnership pursuant to the Ordinance dated 4 April 2019 relating to the accreditation, programming and accreditation procedures for hospitals, forms of hospital partnership or hospital activities, and/or the Coordinated Act dated 10 July 2008 relating to hospitals and other care facilities.

Hospital activity: hospital service, hospital department, hospital function, medical service, medical-technical service, care programme or other care and/or diagnostic activity of a hospital which must be the subject of an approval pursuant to the Ordinance dated 4 April 2019 relating to the approval, programming and approval procedures for hospitals, forms of cooperation between hospitals or hospital activities, and/or the Coordinated Act dated 10 July 2008 relating to hospitals and other care institutions.

Conditions

In order to be accredited as a hospital, form of hospital partnership or hospital activity, the standards must be observed as included in:

• the Act on Hospitals and Other Care Institutions, coordinated on 10 July 2008;
• the decisions taken pursuant to the Act on Hospitals and Other Care Institutions, coordinated on 10 July 2008;
• the decisions taken pursuant to the Ordinance dated 4 April 2019 relating to the accreditation, programming and accreditation procedures for hospitals, forms of partnerships 

Action to be taken

All applications for accreditation must be addressed to the United College Services (the Administration), accompanied by an administrative file.

Before granting provisional approval, the Administration will schedule a visit in order to check the safety and architectural standards.

If the required conditions are met, a provisional accreditation will be granted for a period of one year from the day of application, which can be renewed once. 

During the period of the provisional accreditation, the Administration will check whether the hospital, the form of hospital cooperation or the hospital activity is operating in accordance with the required standards.

It will draw up a report. The Advisory Board will then issue an opinion with regard to the application for accreditation within 30 days of the request for an opinion. After this period, the formality will be deemed to have been completed.

After receiving the opinion of the Advisory Board, the competent members of the United College may, within 30 days of the date of delivery of the opinion of the Advisory Board, either take a decision with regard to, or refuse, its accreditation. The accreditation will be granted for an indefinite period.

Cost

Free