BPAS Taunton Central

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

We looked for evidence that women had the best possible outcomes because their needs were assessed. We checked that women’s care, support and treatment reflected these needs ensuring women were at the centre of their care. We also looked for evidence that leaders instilled a culture of improvement, where understanding current outcomes and exploring best practice was part of their everyday work.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating remains good. This meant women’s outcomes were consistently good, and women’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service made sure women’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

Staff used a range of tools to assess and review women’s treatment needs. The tools were standardized and staff understood how to use them. The assessment process enabled staff to understand women’s holistic needs and offer referral to support services. Staff could make internal referrals to the provider’s counselling service to support women making abortion choices. They could also provide information about external services which supported victims of domestic abuse, violence or sexual assault. Records showed care plans were personal and holistic.

Women were asked about their communication needs when they first contacted the service. When required, women were provided with support by interpreters.

If a woman suffered with anxiety, appointments could be offered at the start or end of a day’s clinic appointments. Pain management was part of the individualised care pathway. Staff discussed managing women’s expectations regarding pain and options for providing pain relief together with pain scale booklets.

Staff encouraged young women to consider who might be a supportive adult they could approach for support. However, staff were aware this might be the first time women, especially young women, had considered their sexual safety so they gave them as much time as they needed to reflect and respond.

Staff communicated with women so they understood their care and treatment, including finding effective ways to communicate with women with communication difficulties. Staff assessed and managed risks to women and themselves well.

Women using the service told us the service met their needs.

The service planned and delivered women’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

There were processes to deliver care in line with legislation and best practice. The service carried out audits to monitor the quality and safety of care provided. Managers had regular meetings with colleagues from across the organisation when best practice was shared to ensure clinics and treatments followed the same standards of care.

The team included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of women in the service including Nurse Midwife Practitioners (NMPs), surgeons, health care assistants, administrative staff. Staff were experienced and qualified and had the right skills and knowledge to meet women’s needs.

Staff used technology to support their clinical assessment of women. This supported staff to make decisions based on professional judgement and best practice.

The organisation ensured policies were up-to-date. Policies were stored on the organisation’s intranet and were available to all staff. When policies were updated, staff received emails to inform them.

The service worked well across teams and services to support women. They made sure women only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when women moved between different services.

Electronic patient records could be accessed by relevant staff within the organisation. Information collected by BPAS “telehub” staff (telephone service in Bournemouth which covered the south-west division of Somerset) was visible to the clinical staff. This reduced the times staff needed to ask women the same questions.

Staff worked closely with external teams including safeguarding teams and sexual health services. Staff described strong working relationships. Safeguarding teams were responsive to their referrals. The service was working with a local sexual health service to capture women who required ongoing contraception care by developing fast-track access.

Staff held regular multidisciplinary meetings.

Staff told us they felt they could access support, advice and raise concerns as needed and leaders were accessible and supportive.

The service supported women to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported women to live healthier lives and where possible, reduced their future needs for care and support.

All women were offered testing for Chlamydia and sexually transmitted infection. The service offered women all methods of contraception which could be provided at the time of their appointment or at a separate appointment. It was women’s own wish where and when to have contraception and women treated at BPAS were given information on and were entitled to short acting and long acting contraception at their clinics at any time or at an external service.

We saw an extensive range of contraception leaflets in the waiting room and available on the BPAS website. A variety of women’s health leaflets were also on display.

The service routinely monitored women’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of women themselves.

Evidence of patient outcomes and standards being met were audited, including wait times and the number of women who proceeded to each type of treatment. Pathways to specialist care or antenatal referrals for those who were not suitable for treatment at the location was also audited.

The service provided women led care where women were provided with choice during their consultation on treatment options, contraceptives and follow up care. Patient led follow ups were available to all women seeking support post treatment and this was also audited.

The service told women about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff understood the importance of gaining consent. Consent formed part of staff’s mandatory training. They also received training in the Mental Capacity Act (2005). Staff completed mental capacity assessments as part of the consent process. Staff assessed and recorded capacity to consent appropriately. When a woman lacked capacity, staff made decisions in their best interests, recognising the importance of the woman’s wishes, feelings, culture and history.

Consent to treatment was discussed during the initial telephone consultation appointment and subsequent appointments. We observed women signing consent forms at their treatment appointments. Staff took all practical steps to enable women to make their own decisions. If a woman changed her mind about the type of procedure chosen, then the consent process would be repeated.

Staff understood how to gain consent from children (person aged under 18 years) regarding their care and treatment. They also gained consent under national guidance to provide contraceptive or sexual health advice and treatment.

Managers and leaders audited the consultation process to monitor the consent process. Records showed consent was gained appropriately.

Staff discussed with women the options following treatment and women consented regarding the disposal of fetal remains.