The Care Quality Commission checks whether hospitals, care homes and care services are meeting government standards. Visit our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Macclesfield District General Hospital
- Victoria Road, Macclesfield, SK10 3JF
- (01625) 661501
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Type of service
Community health service, Hospital, Long-term conditions service, Rehabilitation (illness or injury), Urgent care service
Specialisms/services
Dementia, Diagnostic and/or screening services, Family Planning services, Maternity and midwifery services, Services for everyone, Termination of pregnancy, Caring for children (0 - 18yrs), Caring for adults under 65 yrs, Caring for adults over 65 yrs
Local Authority Area
Cheshire East
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The service should have quality checking systems to manage risks and assure the health, welfare and safety of people who receive care (outcome 16)
Meeting this standard
Our full report about this standard from 18th October 2011
We checked that people who use this service:
- Benefit from safe quality care, treatment and support, due to effective decision making and the management of risks to their health, welfare and safety.
Why this check was done: We carried out this review as part of our schedule of routine planned inspections.
How this check was done: In order to complete this review we carried out a visit.
What people who use the service experienced and told us
The views of patients on the quality of care they receive has already been covered under the other outcome areas we reviewed. We did not speak to them specifically about quality monitoring and assurance.
Other evidence
As already covered above, as part of its regular meetings with the trust, managers have explained to the CQC how the trust’s assurance framework works. We are provided with regular performance monitoring and quality reports and have also been told how these are being further developed and improved. For example, a quality dashboard has been introduced to report on performance and trends in key quality indicators on a monthly basis. Also, now that the trust had taken on community services, performance of these areas has been added to reports. Overall we are assured that the trust’s assurance process is thorough and timely, detailed enough to identify where concerns are arising, and covers the appropriate areas.
We asked staff on the wards how quality is monitored and audited. We were told about regular audits that take place such as hand hygiene, cleanliness of commodes, ward cleanliness checks and mattress audits. Some staff mentioned that key nursing quality indicators such as falls, complaints and pressure sore incidents are also monitored. We saw results of audits and quality monitoring displayed on notice boards on ward 6 and the MAU and these were generally up-to-date. Staff on all wards told us they see their matron carrying out spot checks and quality monitoring on a day to day basis. However, when we asked for examples of any changes in practice implemented as a result of monitoring or audit, very few staff could think of any.
Trust managers had told us about a new initiative started during 2011 called ‘hourly rounding’ where staff observe patients every hour checking things like their blood pressure or whether they are correctly positioned or need turning. We asked staff how this was working. Those that have implemented it said it was helpful but its use was patchy on all the wards we visited. For example, we saw few completed ‘hourly rounding’ records.
Our judgement
Processes are in place to monitor and assess the quality of service provided to help ensure safe care and support is provided.
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Information on other websites
Macclesfield District General Hospital websiteAbout the organisation that provides care here