What does SAK accreditation mean in the Czech Republic?

Spojená akreditační komise (SAK) assesses quality and safety in Czech healthcare facilities. It is a non-government organisation with a nonprofit, public-benefit legal form.

Who runs it and is it the government?

SAK operates as an external accreditation organisation. Its programmes cover hospitals, treatment institutions, long-term care and ambulatory facilities. Ask which type of service and programme the provider's certificate names.

The award is separate from the facility's legal authorisation to operate. A hospital can show several credentials together, but the SAK certificate should be read as evidence of the specified quality assessment, not as the doctor's licence or the government's operating permission.

If a website shows an ISQua membership logo, retain the word “membership”. Membership does not establish IEEA accreditation of SAK. Ask for the exact award category and issuer whenever a clinic uses a broader description of external recognition.

What does it assess and for how long?

The programme uses an external accreditation survey and a final assessment report. It examines quality and safety standards for the relevant care setting, including hospital, long-term or outpatient care.

Accreditation lasts three years, with a repeat survey every three years. Read the current award's dates to establish where the facility sits within that cycle. A report describing a previous survey is useful history, but ask whether the associated award remains current. SAK's published guidance provides further information about the programme.

How do I find a clinic in its register?

Start from SAK's website and open its accredited-facilities list. Locate the provider and compare the named facility with the proposed treatment location. Read the current award dates rather than relying on a hospital announcement alone.

If the listing is unclear or uses a different legal name, ask SAK to confirm the provider and current certificate. Give it the certificate details supplied by the hospital. Ask whether the assessment covers the kind of facility you will use if the programme label is unfamiliar.

What does it not tell me?

SAK accreditation does not replace legal operating permission or the treating professional's registration. An ISQua membership claim also does not establish IEEA accreditation of the evaluator. Use the Czech doctor-check page for professional credentials.

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Checked on 23 October 2026.