Thames Hospice

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained outstanding.

This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service. Staff treated patients and their families with respect and empathy. Staff understood that patients deserved the best care available and endeavoured to provide this. Advance care planning was regular practice and managed with sensitivity and care.

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

The provider was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity.

Staff showed genuine care for patients and their relatives. Staff told us they were able to offer time and companionship for patients, which helped to build strong and meaningful relationships.

Patient rooms had ample space, with a bed, sofa bed, armchair and ensuite bathroom; all supporting a dignified and private space for the patient and their loved ones. Staff checked on patients regularly. Patients had a board at the top of their bedspace which encouraged a personalised approach to their care. Staff encouraged patients and their families to complete these boards with their preferences, such as what name they wished to go by. Staff completed boards from information available if patients could not do it themselves.

Families felt supported and informed every step of the journey in the service. One service user’s relative stated ‘the attention to their relative’s needs was never too much trouble’.

Staff were compassionate and spoke kindly with patients and their relatives. Staff cared for them and were helpful to ensure they felt comfortable and supported.

Staff recognised the importance of helping people to do what was important to them. Staff gave us examples of times they went beyond clinical care. One staff member proudly told us of times they had organised birthday parties in the ‘sanctuary’ room, away from the ward. Another time, they arranged a pizza and film party for a patient with a young family.

The service regularly facilitated events for patients and their loved ones, such as professional music performances and memorial walks.

The service had 2 social workers to support children experiencing bereavement and worked in partnership with schools to help ensure support was available.

People’s privacy was respected and upheld. There was an efficient colour coordinated call bell system in place which enabled staff to respond appropriately without having to disturb the patient unnecessarily, for example, when the pink light was on outside a patient’s room it signified that there was an infection risk, therefore certain level of infection control would be required. If a teal light was on outside a patient’s room, it indicated that housekeeping were servicing the room.

There was a separate suite available for bereaved families to use, to offer a safe and private space. The service offered for the name of every person who had died in their care to be entered into a memorial book, which they displayed in a case near reception. The service sought consent to be able to do this.

Staff demonstrated how they were respectful towards the patient and their loves ones. Staff felt they had got to know people well and that they had made an impact on people’s lives.

Leaders understood the importance of supporting patients and loved ones and had many services available to support both inpatients and outpatients who used their services. An example of this was their counselling services and arts and crafts sessions.

Staff we spoke with demonstrated a strong commitment to providing compassionate care. They took patients’ wishes seriously and supported people with advance care planning, including discussions about their preferences and decisions relating to potentially reversible conditions. This helped ensure care focused on reducing distress and supporting patient comfort and dignity, even at end of life.

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service recognised the range of users of the service, from young adults to older people. The service had facilities suited to a wide range of age groups such as a children’s play table for visitors, as well as a video games console and music devices in the patient bedrooms. This inclusive ethos was evident throughout the service. We were shown a recently published book authored by a local university, with support from the service and other partners. The book was aimed at young children visiting the hospice setting and how they could navigate palliative care.

Leaders and staff had a firm understanding and respect of individual cultures. The service was located within a strong multi-faith community. The service leaders had strong relationships with faith leaders in the community, which ensured support was understood and available. There was a solid relationship between the staff and pastoral care. Staff told us they knew they could access pastoral care and felt well supported by them. Pastoral care was non-denominational and embraced the concept of spiritual care for all. A multi-faith room was available for use near the inpatient wards. Families participated in care decisions where appropriate and expressed a strong sense of partnership to benefit the patient. One patient and their family told us, “The care is outstanding” and they “could not fault anything”. People felt that staff listened and cared for them, one family told us, “The support to us is always at the forefront of nurses minds each time we are here”.

The provider was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service met people’s communication needs to enable them to engage with their care. Staff supported people to understand information through methods best suited to their needs. The service had access to a translator service 24 hours 7 days a week and they were able to request interpreters when required. One staff member told us how they recently used the online interpreting service to ensure a patient was able to make an informed choice about their care. Staff used communication boards and whiteboards if they encountered someone with communication needs. Clinicians did not rush patients or their families during ward rounds and ensured they had time to spend with patients.

Family and friends could visit when the individual wanted them to, and there was suitable space for loved ones to be in the person’s room with them. The service had a specified room on the ward for loved ones to stay overnight, if required.

The service ran wellbeing programmes which offered multiple services for both patients and carers; for example, these included practical services such as advanced care planning and support for finances, as well as complementary therapies.

Patients attending the day service were supported with activities and a focus on their health and wellbeing. The service fostered a culture of independence; there was a strong ethos from leaders to support people, but not to institutionalise them. The service was well tuned to the local community and had created a well-used café space at the front of the hospice. This was attended by not only service users and relatives, but by members of the community. This created a welcoming and lively environment.

The service had accessible equipment available in the day service setting, including a bathroom with a specialist bath and full hoist. We heard inpatients and outpatients enjoyed using this equipment.

Staff were well versed with advance care planning and were able to freely explain the benefits of these discussions and how the communication with patients was always patient-centred.

The provider was exceptional in how they listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Patients and families were greeted warmly by staff. The service supported continuity of care by allocating staff who were familiar with the patient. This enabled staff to develop a good understanding of patients’ need and to build positive, trusting relationships with patients and their families, which was in the patient’s best interests.

Staff took time to get to know patients and understand what was important to them. One staff member told us they felt fortunate to be able to ‘give the gift of time’, to just be present with a person.

Patients could access call bells easily and staff responded to them promptly. The service recognised that not all people had the dexterity to press down on the call bell button. Therefore, they offered traditional hand bells for patients to shake to call for assistance. Alternative assistance request methods were available if a person was unable to physically use the call bell. Staff told us a technological service was available via an interactive speaker within the person’s room, which could be verbally activated by a pre-configured phrase to request assistance. We saw appropriate risk assessments had been completed for the use of these devices, with identified risks mitigated.

During daily multidisciplinary team (MDT) handovers, staff discussed patients’ pro re nata (PRN) medicine use (medicines as required, such as breakthrough pain relief). This ensured staff were informed and able to identify how they could provide additional support to meet the patient’s needs.

The community team were well prepared when reviewing their patients. Staff had care plans, appointment books, and a checklist to ensure they had the appropriate equipment to care for their patients safely and efficiently. People had their physical, psychological, social and spiritual care needs met in the community setting. Staff recognised pain and utilised assessment tools to manage symptoms appropriately. The service was responsive to people’s needs, the community service was available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The team made sure to have a face-to-face meet up with the patient within 24 hours of the service starting.

Staff prescribed anticipatory medicines and made them available for people in their homes. This ensured that there was reduced delays to treatment when needed.

The service was able to manage rapid deterioration. We spoke with an inpatient who was reviewed over the weekend by the community team and admitted as an emergency to the inpatient unit on the Sunday to ensure the patient was suitably cared for. This immediate practical response ensured the patient and family’s wellbeing and care was prioritised.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff treated colleagues with kindness and respect. Staff had built a good rapport with other organisations; we observed their positive and friendly interactions through online meetings.

Staff told us they felt supported by managers and colleagues and were able to provide examples of times that they were individually supported. We were told of circumstances in which flexible working and reasonable adjustments were implemented, to help promote and maintain a positive work-life balance.

Staff we spoke with felt supported, listened to and happy in their roles. There was evidence of an inclusive working culture. Eighty-six per cent of staff participated in the most recent staff survey, conducted in 2025. Which showed high levels of satisfaction working as part of a team and for making a difference. It showed a positive workplace culture with values placed on good leadership. While some staff reported a desire for stronger career development training and better communication between departments. The data was mostly in line with national benchmarking across similar services, succeeding slightly more in certain areas.

Staff knew how to access support resources. We saw posters around the site showing who the Mental Health first aiders were and how to contact them. Mental Health first aiders were trained to provide initial support to those experiencing mental health issues or emotional distress. We were shown the ‘compassionate charter’ which was created because of staff speaking up about their safety concerns. The charter served to outline the purpose of their shared commitment to care and to support each other.

Leaders promoted a culture of openness and respect. When we were provided a tour of the facilities, it was clear leaders were approachable and known by staff. Everyone interacted kindly and without hesitation.

Staff valued each other. Volunteers made up a large amount of the service. Volunteers were appreciated by other staff and had specific tasks they were responsible for, including on the wards. The service recognised employees and had Going the Extra Mile (GEM) awards in place. This allowed staff to be celebrated for their exceptional contributions to the hospice.