Salisbury District Hospital

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• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

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

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 evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Throughout the inspection staff consistently demonstrated kindness, compassion, and respect towards patients, fostering a positive and supportive atmosphere. Patients reported staff were very caring and friendly. We staff took measures to maintain patient dignity, such as always pulling the curtain during care interactions and offering chaperones when necessary, ensuring patients felt respected and secure. Staff within theatres and recovery areas maintained patient dignity by ensuring they were covered with blankets, for example even when they were anaesthetised.

Staff were observed to be supportive and flexible with each other when caring for patients. Staff and patients told us they felt this contributed to a positive working environment and enhancing the quality of care provided for patients. Patients told us staff were attentive to their needs, responding quickly to requests for help and support.

The service also received positive outcomes from the Friends and Family Test (FFT). For example, data showed the Day Surgery Unit received 98% positive responses and surgery inpatient wards received 96% positive responses, for the period October 2024 to October 2025.

Patients felt staff genuinely cared about their wellbeing and took time to interact with them in a respectful and considerate manner. We saw staff were discreet and responsive, ensuring patient privacy and dignity were maintained during interactions. We saw this both within theatres and in all ward-based areas during the inspection.

Staff took care to maintain patients' privacy and confidentiality and ensured all electronic care records were secure and password protected. When electronic information was displayed in corridors, care was taken to maintain patient confidentiality as only initials were displayed rather than patients' full names.

The evidence showed a good standard. 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 demonstrated a strong commitment to treating patients as individuals, ensuring care, support, and treatment were personalised to meet each patient's needs and preferences. Patients we spoke with generally expressed satisfaction with how the service responded to their specific situations. For example, one patient said they felt “heard and respected”.

Staff made adjustments and catered for emotional, cultural, and language needs of patients. All wards offered a translation service and patients with a learning disability and autistic people had learning disability passports.

For patients living with dementia, the service used the nationally recognised “This is me” document. ‘This is me' helps health and social care professionals better understand a patient’s needs, preferences and values beyond their dementia diagnosis. We did not see any ‘This is me’ documents during our inspection, however staff told us they would be commenced in pre-assessment and follow the patient through their admission. Should a patient be admitted as an emergency, then they would be completed retrospectively on the ward.

These documents supported staff to deliver care that was tailored to the person's needs. Staff used this document to reduce distress for people with dementia and their carers. It also helped to overcome problems with communication and prevent more serious conditions such as malnutrition and dehydration.

Patients could access the chaplaincy service which offered support for people with various personal, cultural and religious beliefs. Prayer spaces were available for patients, and staff, of all religious beliefs, including for example Muslim prayer mats and facilities for ritual ablutions.

Policies were applied effectively to meet the communication and information needs of these patients, ensuring their care was not only supportive but also tailored to their individual requirements. For example, patients told us how staff, including medical and nursing staff, modified their language or tone when speaking with them. Patients told us this helped them understand what was happening to them and their treatment plans.

The evidence showed a good standard. 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 patient independence. Staff ensured individuals were aware of their rights and had opportunities to make informed decisions about their care, treatment, and overall wellbeing. Patients reported feeling listened to and valued, expressing their preferences were respected and that they had control over their care choices. For example, a patient described how staff had helped them to be more independent during their inpatient admission. They described how staff supported them to be more comfortable, adjusting their sitting and lying position. Another patient described how they needed a canula in their arm but were afraid of needles. They said staff provided gas and air to help calm them down beforehand and they were grateful.

The service accommodated individual needs and preferences. They provided interpreter services to support effective communication. This helped to ensure patients, regardless of language barriers, could engage fully in their care decisions.

The service had access to interpreter and translation services, including British Sign Language. Information provided by the service met with Accessible Information Standard. The Accessible Information Standard (AIS) is a legal requirement for organisations providing NHS or publicly funded adult social care. It ensures individuals with disabilities or sensory loss receive information and communication support in a way they can understand and access.

Staff knew they could ask for interpreters through a designated language line and explained they would use this for clinical information and processes. Sometimes they used a less formal approach and used staff from around the hospital to provide interpretation for patients. Staff also supported patients with sensory impairments, ensuring they had access to communication aids and resources, making them active partners in their care and enhancing their independence.

The service offered a variety of meal options to support different dietary needs, preference or cultures. Patient feedback about the food and the options available was generally positive. One patient described how they were on a specific diet related to a bowel problem. The patient told us a trust dietician visited them and ensured access to protein drinks. They also said ward staff had tried very hard to provide them with a balanced diet that met their needs.

The evidence showed a good standard. 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.

The surgical service demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing patients' immediate needs with promptness and compassion. Staff consistently made necessary adjustments to accommodate individual preferences and ensure responsive, person-centred care. One patient said “staff worked very hard and that nothing is too much trouble”. Staff were proactive in maintaining patient comfort, such as ensuring they were warm and promptly providing assistance when required, all without unnecessary delays. Patients told us, and we saw, that staff responded quickly when call bells were pressed for assistance.

Patients reported feeling well looked after, with their needs anticipated and addressed in a timely manner. They said they were listened to and spoken with in ways they could understand. Patients told us, and we saw, staff took time to talk with them and address any needs promptly. Patients commented their pain was well controlled and staff provided pain relief in a timely way when requested. One patient told us they were “totally amazed how well they have kept on top of my pain management. It’s been brilliant, I can even lie on that side now”.

Our observations of communication between staff and patients was seen to be empathetic and effective. Staff maintained an awareness of changes in patient conditions. Staff actively monitored patients and identified and respond to their immediate needs swiftly, using appropriate tools and technologies when urgent intervention was necessary. For example, escalation to a doctor when a patient’s condition deteriorated.

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

Overall, the surgical service's focus on workforce wellbeing and enablement reflected its commitment to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace, equipping staff to succeed and deliver exceptional care to patients.

However, some staff expressed concerns about the physical environment and working conditions within the theatre suite. Staff told us they felt this impacted morale and overall wellbeing. Issues raised by staff included limited workspace, inadequate space for breaks or rest within the theatre suite itself, and extended working hours required to manage staffing shortages. We spoke with the service leadership about the concerns raised by staff. They could describe their vision to provide a solution but they said the physical limitations of the building’s infrastructure was an obstacle in making these a reality. With regard to staff taking rest or lunch breaks, leaders confirmed staff could utilise the trust staff breakout area’s and cafeterias.

Whilst aware of these challenges, the leadership within the service demonstrated a commitment to supporting staff wellbeing, recognising its importance in delivering high-quality, person-centred care. Staff reported feeling supported by middle leaders, including ward managers and matrons, who were described as approachable, flexible, and attentive to their needs.

Adjustments were made to accommodate personal circumstances, such as childcare, creating a positive and accommodating working environment. Staff were observed being prioritised for breaks, reflecting management’s commitment to ensuring staff had adequate rest.

The service and wider hospital offered well-being resources to the team, and these were advertised on the well-being notice board and via trustwide staff emails. These included employee assistance programmes, workplace coaching, counselling services, and other resources that could help staff cope with stress, financial and emotional challenges.

Support from the trusts occupational healthy team was made available when needed, further demonstrating the service's holistic approach to staff health and wellbeing.