Sustainability and quality as core values
The UMC Utrecht is one of the leading hospitals in the Netherlands and is at the forefront of environmental management. The hospital is fully certified according to NEN-EN-ISO 14001:2015 and has embedded sustainability into its business strategy since 2015. Within this context, UMC conducts internal audits to assess the functioning of the environmental management system and to identify opportunities for improvement.
Strengthening internal audit capacity
To ensure the quality and effectiveness of these internal audits, UMC Utrecht has asked Lexerta to train its internal auditors. The auditors should preferably be independent from the departments they audit, so that bias and conflicts of interest are avoided and the audits can be carried out objectively and professionally.
Tailor-made training for internal auditors
Lexerta has a long-standing and intensive collaboration with UMC Utrecht. Daniël van Grol, senior consultant at Lexerta and closely connected to the UMC, knows and experiences the situation within the organization. With his expertise in (environmental) management systems, permits, environmental laws and regulations, and compliance management, he looks beyond the immediate request and is able to translate theory into practice.
For the training, a tailor-made program was developed in which internal auditors were trained in the application of NEN-EN-ISO 14001:2015 and the guidelines from NEN-EN-ISO 19011:2018. During the training, the auditors went through all the steps of an audit: compiling an audit program, drawing up audit criteria and plan, preparation, execution, and reporting. A complete audit was practiced, so that the theory was immediately put into practice.
This practical approach ensured that the auditors could get started independently and confidently. At the same time, it resulted in valuable discussions and concrete agreements that further strengthen the quality of internal audits.
Strengthened audit capacity and quality improvement
"The training was rated very positively by the auditors." Says Sacha Tensen, environmental specialist at UMC Utrecht. "Especially the immediate practice of the theory by preparing and conducting an audit together was incredibly instructive and gave the auditor enough foundation to audit independently. Additionally, the audit led to valuable discussions and agreements that enable us to elevate the quality of our audits to a higher level."
Thanks to this combination of expert guidance, practice-oriented training, and direct application of knowledge, UMC Utrecht now has an internal pool of auditors who are fully equipped to effectively assess and continuously improve the environmental management system. This contributes to the hospital’s sustainability ambitions, quality objectives, and compliance.
