- NHS hospital
Frimley Park Hospital
Report from 31 January 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings - Urgent and emergency services
Our view of the service
In our assessment of Urgent Emergency Care (UEC) services we found there was a positive learning safety culture where events were investigated, and learning was shared and embedded to promote good practice. Staff we spoke with were open and honest when things went wrong, and they had the opportunity to learn and gain experience. The environment was safe and well maintained. Staff practiced high standards of infection prevention and control. Risks to patient safety were mostly mitigated. There were effective mechanisms to adjust staffing levels when needed to keep the department and patients safe. Staff mostly demonstrated safe medicines management.
Staff provided care and treatment following evidence-based practice. Staff were trained and competent and had the right skills to meet patient’s needs. There were effective processes to ensure clinicians were available with paediatric competencies and qualifications to assess children who were streamed away from the adult emergency care setting to the Children’s emergency department (CED). The service monitored care outcomes and sought to improve.
Staff treated patients with kindness, empathy and compassion and tried to ensure their dignity and respect was maintained. Staff always treated each other with kindness and respect. The majority of patients were positive about the care they received. Leaders promoted and supported the wellbeing of staff.
People could not always access care and treatment in the department in a timely manner due to flow issues throughout the hospital. The service was aware of system pressures and sought to develop services that met the changing needs of patients.
The department and staff were well-led by strong leaders who embodied the cultures and values of their workforce. There was a shared vision and a set of values amongst all staff. There were positive and collaborative relationships with external partners to build a shared understanding of challenges within the system.
People's experience of this service
Most patients, families and carers we spoke with were positive about the staff, who treated them with warmth and kindness and provided effective care and treatment. Comments from patients and included: "staff are very attentive and "can't fault the care". Patients said communication with them was good and they were kept informed of their care and treatment.
Patients said they were seen quickly by trained nursing staff when they arrived and were asked appropriate questions to find out more about why they had attended the ED. Records we reviewed showed they were given the tests they needed usually promptly. Although care was being delivered in non-designated areas (corridor care), we observed staff interacting with patients in these areas and staff apologised to patients for delays.