LOC - Leaders in Oncology Care at London Bridge Hospital

We rated it as outstanding because we found many examples of high quality, safe, innovative care:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills, understood how to protect patients from abuse and worked with external agencies to do so, and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff thoroughly assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well and were consistently supported by the pharmacy team to do so. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them and fostered an open environment where incident reporting was encouraged.
• Staff provided excellent care and treatment, gave patients enough to eat and drink, and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care, and had access to good information. Key services were contactable seven days a week.
• Staff went above and beyond to treat patients with compassion and kindness. The service was orientated towards respecting patients’ privacy and dignity and providing personalised care. Staff took account of their individual needs and helped them understand their conditions. Patients and their families were provided emotional support through a variety of support services. Despite the outpatient nature of the service, patients and their families had access to a wide selection of complementary therapies such as massage, aromatherapy and reiki.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people, took account of patients’ individual needs, and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it and did not have to wait for treatment.
• Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and actively supported staff to develop their skills. They were forward thinking with a focus on continuous improvement and engaged staff in developing the service. Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They were focused on the individual needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities and all felt able to suggest improvements. The service engaged well with patients to manage services and actively sought their views and ideas about how their experience could be enhanced. All staff were committed to improving services.