Scarborough Hospital

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

At our last inspection we rated this key question as good. At this assessment the rating remained as good. This meant people were supported and treated with respect and involved in their care.

We found that staff treated patients and each other with compassion, empathy, and kindness. Care was responsive to individual needs and respected patients’ choices. There was an exceptional commitment to staff wellbeing, supported by a compassionate and positive working culture.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

Staff treated patients and their relatives with kindness, empathy, and compassion, and showed mutual respect toward colleagues. Most patients were respected for their privacy and dignity.

Across all wards visited, staff interactions with patients and those close to them were consistently warm, respectful, and considerate.

Staff took time to explain what they were doing when providing care or treatment, ensuring patients felt informed, reassured, and involved in their care. Communication between staff during handovers was calm, professional, and respectful, reflecting strong teamwork and a positive culture of mutual support.

Patients spoke positively about the care they received and comments included, “Brilliant – everyone has been friendly,” and “Staff do communicate,” and “We were well looked after.”

Staff consistently maintained patients’ privacy and dignity during care and treatment. Curtains were drawn around bed spaces during personal care, medical ward rounds, and care planning discussions. Portable screens were used effectively to enhance privacy for patients cared for in Temporary Escalation Spaces (TES).

However, we raised concerns with senior leaders regarding the privacy and dignity of patients cared for in TES spaces, due to their positioning within patient bays. Some spaces were located very close to other patients’ beds, while others were situated at a greater distance. Senior leaders reviewed the issue immediately and provided assurance that matrons would oversee the appropriate use of these areas to ensure privacy and dignity were maintained at all times.

The medicine care group treated patients as individuals and ensured care, support and treatment reflected patient’s needs and preferences. Staff took account of patient’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff consistently demonstrated a person centred approach to care, taking time to understand what mattered most to each individual. Patients were encouraged to complete the trust’s “What Matters to Me” booklet, which supported the delivery of personalised care. The booklet enabled staff to learn how patients preferred to be addressed, details about their family life, pets, treasured possessions, and religious or cultural beliefs. This information was actively used to tailor care and treatment plans to each patient’s unique needs and preferences.

Staff used the ‘Forget Me Not’ symbol above patients’ beds to discreetly identify individuals living with dementia, memory problems, or complex communication needs. This served as a gentle visual cue to remind staff to offer additional reassurance, time, and support to these patients.

Patient care records clearly demonstrated that care plans were individualised and person centred, reflecting each patient’s values, and preferred ways of receiving care.

Ward environments were personalised to reflect each speciality and to create a welcoming, homely atmosphere. Noticeboards were colourful, engaging, and provided information tailored to support patients, relatives, and staff. We observed posters reminding staff, and reassuring patients that “everyone should be seen and treated as an individual”.

Staff communicated effectively with patients using clear and accessible language and provided examples of how they used communication aids to meet individual needs. They had access to a full range of interpretation services to support patients whose first language was not English or who used alternative communication methods.

Staff also provided positive examples of meeting patients’ dietary, nutritional, and cultural requirements, confirming that specific foods could be ordered to respect patients’ beliefs and preferences.

Spiritual needs were met sensitively. The trust’s chaplain regularly visited wards, providing support to patients, relatives, and staff regardless of faith or background.

The trust’s safeguarding team had developed innovative a ‘postcard snapshot’ learning tool to help staff identify risks early and prevent missed opportunities. This approach promoted person-centred care by encouraging staff to understand each patient’s background, ask meaningful questions, listen carefully, and verify information from multiple sources.

Staff supported patients to make informed decisions about their own care, treatment, and wellbeing. There was a clear emphasis on respecting individual preferences and involving patients in planning and reviewing their care.

All patients we spoke with confirmed they had agreed to and provided consent for their care and treatment. Staff explained care and treatment options in a way that helped patients understand and make informed choices. Most patients told us they felt comfortable asking questions about their treatment plan.

However, only a few patients were fully aware of their discharge arrangements. This was evidenced by the ongoing delays in discharge processes, particularly for patients with complex needs.

Patients expressed satisfaction with the quality and choice of meals provided. They said staff respected their preferences and dietary needs, which contributed positively to their sense of choice and wellbeing.

Staff listened to and understood patients’ needs, views and wishes. They recognised the importance of identifying patients’ immediate requirements and responded promptly to minimise discomfort, concern, or distress.

We observed a morning handover where staff demonstrated a clear understanding of patients’ current needs and prioritised actions to ensure these were met without delay.

Patients who required urgent medical attention were prioritised appropriately during ward rounds. Patient care records confirmed that prompt reviews were undertaken by the medical team when required.

Staff told us they were vigilant to changes in patients’ condition and immediate needs. Ward managers initiated one to one observations where necessary, or staff were assigned to observe a bay of cohorted patients to maintain safety. However, staff acknowledged this could be challenging at times due to staffing pressures and the high number of patients requiring enhanced observations.

Staff shared examples of effective escalation and prompt clinical response. For instance, one patient experiencing deterioration was transferred to the ICU within minutes of escalation, and a medical consultant attended the ward within ten minutes to assess the patient.

Appropriate referrals were made to specialist teams when required, including mental health, palliative care, dietetics, and occupational and physiotherapy services. We observed therapists reviewing patients, and staff confirmed that therapy teams attended daily to assess, support, and plan care for patients.

The Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) team operated under a clear prioritisation framework, ensuring that patients who were nil by mouth with no alternative nutrition were seen within two working days.

Staff were able to refer patients for mental health assessments to another local trust’s mental health liaison team, which was described as supportive. Between July and September 2025, 91% of reviews were completed within 24 hours. However, staff noted that the requirement for patients to be “medically fit” before referral could delay assessments for those in crisis. A recent external report highlighted the need to improve communication and referral processes to ensure timely mental health support for vulnerable patients.

Patients were able to access and use their call bells to alert staff when they required assistance. However, we observed occasional delays in staff responding to call bells. Patients we spoke with confirmed this, reporting that response times varied from less than a minute to around 20 minutes.

Patients being cared for in Temporary Escalation Spaces (TES) were provided with clear explanations of how to call for assistance.

Staff assessed and monitored patients regularly for pain and provided analgesia in a timely and appropriate way. Documentation confirmed that pain assessments were recorded accurately.

The medicine care group demonstrated an outstanding and sustained commitment to staff wellbeing, empowerment, and professional development. There was a deeply embedded culture of compassion, respect, and recognition that ensured staff felt valued and supported to deliver high quality and person centred care.

Staff at all levels reported feeling respected, supported, and appreciated by colleagues and managers. They described a strong sense of teamwork, mutual support and collective pride in their work demonstrating a strong sense of belonging and shared purpose.

Ward managers and senior staff were highly visible and approachable, contributing to a culture where everyone worked well together to achieve the best outcomes for patients.

Resident doctors described excellent access to senior clinical support and guidance from consultants. Wellbeing sessions for medical staff were well attended and weekly teaching sessions were highly valued. There was a clear and structured process for competency sign-off during each rotation, covering essential clinical skills such as catheterisation.

Recognition and celebration of staff achievements were clearly embedded in the culture on the wards. Staff could be nominated for a “Star of the Month” and or recognised through “Greatix” which is the trust’s staff appreciation and recognition system. Ward managers also promoted positivity through “This Month We Are Proud Of” posters which celebrated teamwork, communication, and quality improvements.

Daily safety briefings included recognition of staff achievements and team successes, reinforcing morale and a shared commitment to delivering excellent care.

Managers provided clinical staff with regular clinical supervision sessions, which supported reflective practice, development and learning from practice. Managers had access to an online wellbeing toolkit to help support their teams effectively.

All staff received annual appraisals to review performance, identify development needs, and discuss career goals. Staff were offered opportunities for further learning and skill development; however, some healthcare support workers reported limited access to additional training beyond mandatory requirements.

The care group promoted staff wellbeing through comprehensive range of initiatives, including access to occupational health services, a 24-hour helpline, mental health first aiders, counselling and wellbeing workshops.

Staff were supported to reflect on the emotional impact of their roles through trust’s Schwartz Rounds, providing a safe, structured space for open discussion and shared learning. The care group had also piloted an innovative support pathway for staff involved in or affected by traumatic incidents at work, demonstrating a proactive and compassionate approach to workforce wellbeing.

Spaces for quiet reflection and prayer, such as the hospital’s “prayer trees,” were available to support spiritual wellbeing.

The trust’s Organisational Development team provided tailored consultancy, coaching, and conflict resolution support, as well as online sessions on resilience and effective management conversations.