Scunthorpe General Hospital

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

This means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

We looked for evidence that people were always treated with kindness, empathy and compassion. We checked that people’s privacy and dignity was respected, that they understood that they and their experience of how they were treated and supported mattered. We also looked for evidence that every effort was made to take people’s wishes into account and respect their choices, to achieve the best possible outcomes for them.

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

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

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.

The service treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff interacted with patients and those close to them in a warm and caring way. They introduced themselves, spoke politely, listened carefully and took time to respond to people’s needs. Staff were discreet in their conversations and avoided discussing personal information where it could be overheard.

Patients told us staff treated them well and were consistently kind, including during personal care and at times of distress. Staff knocked before entering rooms, waited for a response, gained consent, used the patients preferred name and ensured people were appropriately covered. Care was delivered in a way that supported privacy and dignity, including maintaining modesty and supporting people to dress according to their preferences wherever possible. We observed amazing relationship centred care.

Staff were attentive to patients who were anxious, distressed, confused or frightened. They responded calmly and compassionately, offering reassurance and adjusting their approach to individual needs.

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service consistently treated people as individuals and delivered person‑centred care that reflected patients’ preferences, needs and values. Staff took time to get to know patients and understand what mattered most to them, and this informed care planning and daily interactions.

The service recognised the importance of carers and families. Staff told us how patient's families were appreciative of the care they were offered and showed this through fund raising activities to support the service.

Religious, cultural and social needs were respected. Staff asked about individual beliefs and preferences on admission and responded appropriately. Chaplaincy services were offered but not imposed, and patients could decline spiritual support if they wished. Patients were supported to maintain social and cultural links and flexible visiting arrangements were possible.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

The service promoted people’s independence and supported them to have choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff took time to understand what mattered most to each person and respected their rights, preferences and priorities.

People were supported to make informed decisions about their care wherever possible. Staff provided information in a way that people could understand and encouraged them to be actively involved in decisions, including those about daily routines, symptom management and future care planning. When people needed support to communicate or make decisions, staff made reasonable adjustments and involved family, carers or advocates in line with the person’s wishes and legal frameworks.

Care plans were personalised and reviewed regularly to reflect changes in people’s needs, choices and goals. People were supported to maintain independence in daily activities for as long as they wished and were able, with staff offering support that promoted dignity rather than doing things for them unnecessarily.

Where people lacked capacity to make specific decisions, staff acted in their best interests and involved those important to them. Decisions were individual, proportionate and focused on respecting the person’s values, beliefs and previously expressed wishes.

The service 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.

People’s immediate needs were responded to promptly and compassionately. Call bells were within reach of patients, and staff responded to requests for assistance in a timely way. During our observations, staff were attentive and checked on patients regularly, not just when providing treatment or at mealtimes.

Patients appeared clean, well cared for and supported to maintain dignity. Items such as glasses, hearing aids, walking aids and drinks were kept within reach to promote comfort and independence.

Patients with reduced mobility were supported appropriately. Staff assisted with moving and positioning, and environmental measures were used to reduce falls risk. Patients were encouraged to mobilise safely where possible, with support tailored to individual needs.

Staff provided emotional support to patients and those close to them. They were empathetic and sensitive to the stress and uncertainty associated with life‑limiting illness, changes in treatment or withdrawal of active care. Patients and relatives told us staff were kind, reassuring and responsive when support was needed.

Staff understood the emotional and social impact of illness on patients and families. They had access to, and made referrals to, specialist support services such as bereavement support, dementia services or specialist nursing input where appropriate.

Patients told us they felt listened to and believed staff understood and anticipated their needs. Staff took proactive steps to prevent discomfort or distress, demonstrating a caring and responsive approach in meeting people’s immediate needs.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us they felt valued, supported and treated with kindness and respect. Leaders recognised the emotional demands of their roles and promoted a culture where staff wellbeing was taken seriously. Staff said they felt able to speak openly if they were struggling and knew how to access support.

The service had systems to monitor and support staff wellbeing. This included access to mental health first aiders, reflection sessions, debriefs following traumatic incidents and referrals to wellbeing or counselling services when required.

There was oversight of workload, staffing and resources, and leaders monitored the impact of pressures on staff wellbeing. Flexible working arrangements were supported where possible, and staff had access to the equipment and resources they needed to do their jobs safely.