Nursing staff at a hospital in the North East of Scotland have achieved two major landmarks for international recognition for care excellence.
Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (RACH) is celebrating success in gaining Magnet designation with distinction for care excellence – the highest possible international standard for nursing care.
“I am immensely proud to see colleagues’ hard work, dedication, passion and commitment to delivering outstanding care recognised in this way”
June Brown
Significantly, the RACH, which is run by NHS Grampian, has become the first children’s hospital in Europe and the first hospital in Scotland to achieve Magnet designation.
The ANCC Magnet Recognition Program is generally accepted as the highest global credential that a healthcare organisation can achieve.
A Magnet designation indicates to patients and the public these organisations have met the most stringent, evidence-based standards of nursing excellence in patient care delivery.
Part of the Magnet process, which takes several years to undergo, has involved teams inviting regular feedback from families receiving care as well as measuring staff retention.
Since surveys started in 2023, patient experience and satisfaction have increased from around 75% to 95% overall. Staff turnover at RACH has also reduced by almost half between 2023 and 2025.
The quality mark is granted by the American Nurses’ Credentialing Center, an affiliate of the American Nurses’ Association, which also runs the Pathway to Excellence programme.
Although well-established in the US, where 10% of all hospitals have Magnet status – representing around 650 in total – the model is yet to be implemented widely in other countries.
Only Saudi Arabia outside the US has a critical mass of nine Magnet hospitals, noted the researchers. Otherwise, there are 14 Magnet hospitals in 11 countries.
A handful of UK hospitals have started the application process with even fewer completing it, namely Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, which achieved Magnet status in 2020.
However, a higher number have completed the ANCC’s Pathway to Excellence programme, which recognises providers demonstrating a commitment to positive practice environments for nurses.
In May this year, NHS Grampian became the first health board in Scotland and the UK to achieve Pathway to Excellence status for its mental health and learning disabilities service.
A further ANCC initiative, called Magnet4Europe, has been seeking to introduce some of the Magnet model’s features in European hospitals since 2020. Around a dozen UK providers are taking part.
Commenting on the Magnet designation for RACH, NHS Grampian’s executive nurse director, Dr June Brown, described it as a “huge boost” for the organisation.
“It is testament to the outstanding team work across Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, as well as our success in empowering nursing colleagues to improve care for children and families.
“I am immensely proud to see colleagues’ hard work, dedication, passion and commitment to delivering outstanding care recognised in this way,” she said.
“It is not an easy process and it shows what’s possible when we pull together, put the important things first and support staff to achieve their goals.”
NHS Grampian’s chief nurse for combined child health, Caroline Clark, added: “Magnet has enabled us to make meaningful, evidence-based improvements to clinical practice, directly benefiting families and making a real difference to the lives of our young patients.
June Brown
“The focus on staff-led innovation — from new approaches to medicines management, to recorded handovers and new models of care closer to home — has been truly transformational, delivering changes that have a significant impact on both patient experience and outcomes,” she asid.
“We will continue to prioritise a culture of shared decision-making, invest in education and development at every stage of a nurse’s career, and celebrate the many patient success stories across our services, while also learning from the rare occasions when things do not go to plan.
“Importantly, we recognise that Magnet is a journey, not a destination, and we remain committed to continuous improvement,” said Ms Clark.
