Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham

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

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has stayed the same. This meant people felt well-supported, cared for and treated with dignity and respect. People's privacy and dignity was respected, staff treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion. Staff listened to and understood people's needs, views and wishes. Staff treated people as individuals and made sure people's care, support and treatment met their needs and preferences.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

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.

Staff interacted with patients kindly and respectfully, including from knocking on cubicle doors to offering tea or coffee. People felt staff listened to them and communicated with them in a way they could understand. They said they had their privacy and dignity respected. Patients told us staff responded to their needs quickly and efficiently, especially if they were in pain, discomfort or distress.

Staff understood they needed to respect people's privacy and dignity. We observed a positive interaction between a member of staff and a patient being supported safely and with respect, privacy and dignity while on a ward.

Staff understood they needed to respect the individual needs of each patient and showed understanding and a non-judgmental attitude when caring for or discussing patients.

There was a culture of kindness and respect between colleagues. Staff collaborated with other experienced colleagues to provide support for people with mental ill health.

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

Staff understood the emotional and social impact that a person's care, treatment, or condition had on their wellbeing and on those close to them.

Staff understood the anxiety associated with the procedures and supported patients as much as possible. They assessed patients' social, psychological, or religious needs at pre-operative assessment and noted any reasonable adjustments on patients' records so these could be made ahead of admission.

People were treated as individuals, with staff considering any relevant protected equality characteristics. A hospital passport was available to support the care of patients with a learning disability or with autism.

Theatre staff discussed patients with learning disabilities, autism, and special needs during team briefings. They prepared the theatre team for when the patient arrived. They allowed personal objects, story boards, relatives, and carers to be with the patient for as long as possible to ensure the patient felt comfortable.

Patients with learning disabilities, autism, and special needs were recovered in a quieter area as much as possible ensuring carers were at their bedside as soon as possible. This minimised the stress of being confused in an unfamiliar environment.

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

Staff supported patients to have choice and control over their own care and to make decisions about their care, treatment and wellbeing. The service was inclusive and took account of people's individual needs and preferences. Staff made reasonable adjustments to help people, and their families access services. Side rooms and extended visiting were arranged for patients with a learning disability.

Staff made sure patients and those close to them understood their care and treatment. Patients had the independence and control over their pre-assessment and follow up appointments which included changing the date and time of the appointments.

Staff understood and applied the policy on meeting the communication needs of patients with a disability or sensory loss. The trust had an ‘interpreting and translation policy'. Where language barriers were apparent, staff used an external language line who assisted with interpreting and conveying the conversation between clinicians and patients.

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.

Staff were alert to people's needs and took time to observe, communicate and engage people in discussions about their immediate needs. Staff ensured patients with mental health conditions, disabilities, or dementia received the care they needed, and adapted the service to meet their individual needs.

People's needs, views, wishes and comfort was a priority and staff quickly anticipated these to avoid any preventable discomfort, concern or distress. We observed medical and nursing staff working closely together to meet the patients' needs and delivering a good level of care and treatment. They also ensured there were no visitors at mealtimes except carers for patients with dementia or a learning disability if they were available to offer support.

A red tray assisted eating was available which staff and patients could request if they required further support with eating. Patients could also highlight to the catering team if they were diabetic and required meals suitable for their diet.

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

There were effective processes to ensure staff were supported with their wellbeing. This enabled them to continue in their roles of providing care and treatment to patients. However, most staff worked long hours, and not all staff were able to take their breaks on time.

People's experience of a service was driven by a culture that normalised good wellbeing through inclusivity, active listening, and open conversations. This enabled staff to do their job at their best and to be well. Ward 410 had a wellbeing lead who organised a `Pets at Home' service to visit both staff and patients. The trust also provided a wellbeing hub for staff and there were various support networks and groups available to all staff. Staff were able to get help with family support, legal, and financial advice.

Staff had easy access to personalised support that recognised the diversity of a workforce with proactive and reactive measures. Theatre staff told us they had a diverse team. They worked well together and embraced each other's cultures.

The ambulatory care unit had `heart compliments' for colleagues to put in a box which enabled staff to be called out for their support each week and receive love hearts at the end of the month as an incentive.

However, some staff were not always supported to have their breaks in a timely manner when providing 1-to-1 patient care. Staff on ward 410 told us they were usually required to spend 2 hours providing 1-to-1 care for patients who required enhanced care. This did not always happen and often spent extended periods of time providing this care. This meant they occasionally had their breaks late after working long hours. This had been escalated to senior staff but we were told no action had been taken.