Newark 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

People received care and support that was exceptionally compassionate and kind.

Staff cared for individuals and each other in a way that exceeded expectations and fully respected their privacy and dignity.

Staff demonstrated genuine empathy for the people they cared for.

We saw during our inspection and without exception, staff treated patients with kindness, empathy and compassion.

We observed that patient’s privacy, and dignity was respected.

Staff worked in a highly personalised and holistic way to deliver outstanding care to people. Staff had developed very positive caring and compassionate relationships with people. People were treated with sensitivity, dignity and respect. People said the staff were exceptionally compassionate, meeting their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has improved to Outstanding. This meant people always felt exceptionally well-supported, cared for and treated with the utmost dignity and respect.

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.

Throughout our inspection we observed that patients and families were at the centre of everything staff did. Staff responded compassionately when patients, their relatives or loved ones needed help. Support was always given by caring staff, to meet the needs of the patients and their families and feedback from people who used the service was continually positive to the inspection team about the way staff treated them.

Staff identified patients who needed extra support and discussed changes to patients’ care and treatment with them and their families in a supportive and empathetic way.

The service provided support to families and care givers to maintain their own health and wellbeing.

We spoke with patients and relatives and observed their care and treatment., there was a very strong, patient-centred culture from all staff.

Patients and their loved ones were without exception very positive about the care and compassion they received from staff. They described how the supportive and empathetic approach by staff had a positive impact on their emotional wellbeing.

One of the patients told us, “The staff are all amazing”. Another person told us, " Staff go out of their way to come and introduce themselves. They make you feel so at ease, I love that. It is wonderful”, and “It is almost like being with your family and friends”. Another person described the staff as “Magic”.

Staff were discreet and responsive when caring for patients. Staff took time to interact with patients and those close to them in a respectful and considerate way. Patients said staff treated them well and with kindness.

Staff understood and respected the individual needs of each patient and showed understanding and a non-judgmental attitude when discussing their care with them or other healthcare professionals.

Staff told us they had time to spend with patients, to listen and hear what they valued and what they wanted their treatment to look like. They spoke of the importance of understanding people’s individual preferences and needs. One staff member told us, “Everyone has their own story, their own background and experiences. You can't treat everyone the same. The patient in bay 1 will have a different lifestyle to the patient bay 2 or bay 3”.

Staff told us they always asked patients for the preferred name and used this, and made sure other staff knew and used their preferred name.

Staff treated patients with great compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided exceptional emotional support to patients, families and care givers.

Staff ensured that patients and those close to them were partners in decisions about their care and treatment. Patients’ individual needs and preferences were central to the delivery of the tailored services.

We spoke with mortuary manager and mortuary porter who were clearly caring. They told us when they took the deceased patients to the mortuary, they looked after them as individuals in their own right and treated them with dignity and respect, as you would all patients

The relatives of an end of life care patient, we spoke with as part of our inspection described regular and open conversations about their loved one. They felt supported and were treated with dignity, respect and understanding.

One relative told us staff responded quickly and with kindness if their family member needed support. “They cannot do enough for us”

People and their relatives we spoke with as part of our inspection told us about how well staff treated them and respected their individuality. They were always informed and given choices about the care that was provided and they were encouraged to be as independent as possible.

One patient we spoke with described the staff as “Fantastic” and all the patients we spoke with told us that the staff could not do enough to help patients and their families and care givers. They all felt that their individual opinions were valued and heard, and their wishes respected. All the people we spoke with told us that the staff went above and beyond, and patients felt safe and secure.

Patients and those close to them were partners in decisions about their care and treatment. Relatives and care givers unanimously spoke highly of the care their loved one had received and reported that had felt fully involved in all aspects of care and had also had their opinions considered.

People told us that staff went above and beyond to support them

There was ‘Open visiting’ for families and loved ones. This meant they could visit patients whenever they wished and were encouraged to do so by the staff and made to feel welcome at all times.

The trust used the AMBER care bundle, this is a structured communication tool to improve care for patients with uncertain recovery, focusing on open discussion between staff, patients, and families about goals, preferences, and potential end of life planning when a patient is deteriorating and survival is not certain.

Patients and their loved ones were supported by staff that were committed to providing high quality care and treatment. Staff had an excellent understanding of people's needs. They had a holistic approach, providing emotional, spiritual and psychological support for people using the service and those close to them.

One relative told us staff responded quickly if their family member needed support.

Sconce ward had a butterfly room. The butterfly room was decorated in colours aimed to promote a calm ambience and included homely decorations, comfortable chairs for relatives and a peaceful environment.

A butterfly sign was placed on doors to the butterfly room and on patient bedsides to identify end of life care patients to staff, which reminded them to be extra sensitive to their needs and avoid unnecessary intrusion. It was also a reminder to offer additional care to a visiting family.

The butterfly room on Sconce ward meant that a patients loved ones could stay with them for however long was needed.

The ReSPECT care plan provided health and care professionals reacting to an urgent situation with a synopsis of proposals to help them to make immediate choices about that person’s care and treatment. If a patient had a do not resuscitate decision, (DNACPR) this was also included as part of the ReSPECT paperwork.

Staff told us they had access to interpreters and a range of tools to improve communication with people whose first language was not English.

We found staff to be open and friendly at Newark Hospital.

The culture on Sconce ward was fully focussed on the needs of patients, their care givers, families and loved ones. This shared vision was demonstrated in the caring and compassionate way that care was delivered. Individual staff reported they were respected and valued and there were no negative comments about their experiences working for the service.

Staff at all levels received regular appraisals, which provided them with development and career opportunities and their own wellbeing and safety being supported. We found 3 occasions where staff told us they had been encouraged to develop and acquire new skills. For example, one staff member told us they had been encouraged to become an end of life care champion.

The trust engaged with staff through an annual staff survey, the results of which were then shared with staff. This meant issues highlighted could be discussed in further detail, to better support staff.

The 2024 staff survey showed a 7.52 out of 10 for ‘We are compassionate and inclusive,’ 6.98 for ‘We are a team ‘and 7.13 for staff engagement out of 10.

Staff felt supported, respected and valued. Staff were positive about working at the trust. Staff told us they felt pride in the work they carried out to ensure patients received good quality end of life care.

Staff described a fulfilling but challenging role. They told us the support they received from their managers and colleagues enabled them to perform that role well.

Competence was monitored and maintained through annual appraisal and competency reviews.

The service undertook Schwartz Rounds which they referred to as ‘Sherwood stories.’ Schwartz Rounds are structured, confidential meetings in healthcare settings where staff (clinical and non-clinical) discuss the emotional and social challenges of their work, focusing on feelings and human interaction rather than clinical problem-solving. They are facilitated by trained professionals and are one-hour sessions for staff to share their experiences in a safe space, which fosters empathy, trust and the acknowledging of the impact of caregiving.

The service made ‘Reasonable Adjustments’ under the current Equality legislation for those staff as required.