Archived: Great Western Hospital - Theatre / Day Surgery

We found that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure patient safety and welfare. One patient said "They looked after me really well and I cannot fault them.' Another explained 'The surgeon was brilliant. He made me feel really relaxed and the operation was a huge success.'

Patients were protected from the risk of infection because guidance had been followed. We found that patients were cared for in a clean and hygienic environment.

Staff received an appropriate check prior to commencing employment. The provider had a documented recruitment and selection process. We noted that appropriate references and qualifications were taken and checked before staff started work.

We found that the practice had an effective system in place to manage and respond to complaints. The service provided complaints information to patients in the form of a patient leaflet.

There was an individual care plan and treatment record, which included the checks which had been made to assure staff that the person was safe during the operation. One person who had used the service told us "My main risk was my weight. I had told them, when I came for the consultation that I was worried, but they talked me through everything and checked it all again just before the operation."

Although there had been no concerns about people who had used the service being at risk of abuse the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

It was clear, from the evidence we reviewed, that the issues we had identified at our previous inspection, regarding support for staff, were resolved.

It was clear from the documentation which we reviewed, and the discussion with staff, that the issues we identified in our last inspection regarding sufficient and regular scrutiny of quality had been addressed.