University Hospital

Ratings - Gynaecology

• Overall

  Good

• Safe

  Good

• Effective

  Good

• Caring

  Good

• Responsive

  Good

• Well-led

  Good

Our view of the service

We carried out this inspection in relation to concerns which were identified during a previous surgical inspection of the service in September 2024. Gynaecology services have never been inspected as a standalone assessment service group so we therefore completed a comprehensive inspection which included all 33 quality statements across safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

The Gynaecology services provided multidisciplinary care to the women of Coventry and Warwickshire, as well as serving as a tertiary oncology hub for referrals from neighbouring Warwickshire and Worcestershire hospitals. Outpatient, inpatient and day case care was also provided for women as well as an emergency gynaecology unit which was open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service provided a wide range of surgical treatments for women which included both open and laparoscopic (keyhole) procedures.

During our inspection we spoke with 19 staff which included matrons, consultants, nurses, doctors in training, healthcare assistants and students. We also reviewed 6 complete sets of patient records.

We found:

The service had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly. People were protected and kept safe. Staff mostly understood and managed risks, and there were now enough staff to provide care to patients.

Staff delivered care based on latest evidence and good practice. People always had enough to eat and drink to stay healthy. Staff monitored people’s outcomes. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent.

Staff treated people with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. Staff mostly responded to people in a timely way. The service supported staff wellbeing.

The service provided information people could understand. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the service took it seriously and acted on it. Patients could access the emergency gynaecology unit however, there was still some delays around elective procedures.

The service was led by strong, supportive and visible leaders. There was a positive culture within the service, however, the governance and risk management processes used by the service was not effective.

People's experience of this service

During our onsite inspection we spoke with 7 patients and observed care and treatment of women who used the service. We also reviewed feedback collated by the service in relation to the care and treatment provided. People were positive about their experience with the service stating staff treated them with kindness, respect and were aware of their individual needs. Information collected by the service also showed people’s experience of the service was very positive, they received feedback through the ‘iWantGreatCare’ initiative as well as collating feedback locally themselves. Staff were reported to be empathetic, respectful and extremely professional. Patients told us they felt safe and well cared for by staff in the service.