- NHS hospital
St Thomas' Hospital
Assessment report published 3 June 2026
Contents
Ratings - Urgent and emergency services
Our view of the service
We carried out an announced assessment of urgent and emergency care services at St Thomas Hospital on 10 and 11 March 2026 in line with our assessment priorities.
Overall, we rated the service as outstanding. We assessed 25 quality statements across the safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led key questions. We have combined the scores for these areas with scores from the last inspection to give the rating. We believe the quality of care has remained outstanding.
At this assessment we found that the service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff investigated incidents and shared learning to promote good practice and continuous improvement. People were cared for in a safe environment and protected from avoidable harm.
A team of qualified, skilled, and experienced staff delivered care and treatment in line with legislation and evidence-based practice and standards. People’s care and treatment were routinely monitored to continuously improve it. The service worked effectively across teams and services to support people and ensure continuity of care. The service understood people's rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centered care and treatment.
Staff consistently treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion. People told us they felt listened to and involved in decisions about their care. The service made reasonable adjustments for people with additional needs, including those with learning disabilities or communication needs. People's needs were listened to and staff responded to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. The service placed strong emphasis on promoting the wellbeing of staff. Staff were supported to enable them to always deliver safe care for patients.
The service made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices. They provided information in formats tailored to individual needs and made sure people were involved to make decisions about their care, treatment and support. The service met national 4-hour performance standards, and most people experienced short waits and positive outcomes. However, patients with mental health needs experienced long stays in the department due to long waits for transfer to specialist mental health services.
Leaders were experienced, skilled and knowledgeable. They were inclusive and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Staff were proud to work at the service, there was strong collaborative team working and staff felt respected, supported and valued. Staff understood the service's vision and values, and these were embedded in their working practices. Staff were motivated to provide the best care they could for their patients. Leaders maintained oversight of risks and performance through established governance processes. The ED strategies and plans aligned with plans for the wider health economy and leaders demonstrated commitment to system-wide collaboration.
People's experience of this service
People consistently told us they were treated with kindness, respect and compassion when using ED services. They said staff listened to them and provided clear explanations about their care and treatment. This reflected what we observed during the assessment, where staff interacted with people in a professional and sensitive manner. People described staff as “excellent,” “friendly,” “nice,” “attentive,” “very understanding” and “supportive.” They said staff “went above the call of duty.”
People felt safe and reassured by staff to address any anxiety. Some of the patients with mental health needs were accommodated in a calm and therapeutic environment adapted to their needs.
People said they were seen promptly and appreciated the efficient assessment and treatment they received. People told us they preferred the service because it was “very good.”