Solihull 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

Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their injury.

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.

All patients told us they were treated with kindness, compassion, and dignity. They felt staff listened to them and communicated with them appropriately in a way they could understand. We saw thank you cards from patients expressing thanks for the care they had received. For example, “Thank you for all the kindness shown to me at the clinic. Making appointments for me to be seen. I am so grateful, after a scan, all was well.”

There was mostly a culture of kindness and respect between the staff. Most staff felt supported by their colleagues as well as managers. Staff understood and respected the personal, cultural, social, and religious needs of patients and how they may relate to care needs.

We spoke to the minor illness staff who said the minor injuries team were very kind and caring and always did the best for the patients. There were no reported concerns.

We observed staff treating patients with kindness and maintaining their dignity. All patients were examined either in a consulting room or in a cubicle with the curtain pulled. We overheard staff speaking to patients with compassion and ensuring patients felt comfortable.

Patients told us they were treated as individuals and their preferences were understood. We saw feedback from a patient who had said “your kindness and prompt actions in ensuring I had the best treatment possible will never be forgotten.”

Staff made sure patients and those close to them understood their treatment. Staff talked to patients in a way they could understand, using communication aids where necessary. Staff told us they had different ways to communicate with patients who had different communication needs. They used a language line or an online translation service for patients who did not speak English as well as pictorial prompts. They had an EP who had learned sign language to be able to effectively communicate with patients from the deaf community.

We observed staff treating patients as individuals and informing them about their injury and plan of care. Staff ensured patients felt comfortable and were given options to make choices about the care they received.

The service did the friends and family test (FFT) which enabled them to gain feedback from patients. They also logged complaints and compliments received.

People were given enough information about their injury. If there was a choice of care, the staff ensured patients were aware of this. No concerns were reported.

Patients were supported to have choice and control over their own care and make decisions about their treatment and wellbeing. There was a range of appropriate equipment to support and maximise people’s independence and outcomes from care and treatment. For example, staff provided crutches so patients with a lower limb injury could mobilise safely. They were referred to fracture clinic and the physiotherapy and occupational therapy team if further support was needed to maintain independence.

Patients could give feedback about the service and care using the Friends and Family Test (FFT). We saw that between 01 January and 30 June 2024, there had been 2,196 responses received, with a 91% positive rating.

Patients were treated with dignity and respect. Patients felt staff were attentive to their needs. We saw a patient was offered a drink and biscuits whilst they were waiting. We saw thank you cards displayed which included messages such as “thank you to all the wonderful staff who took charge when I arrived with a deep cut on my head.” Following feedback from patients and staff, a drinks station and a snack vending machine were installed in the urgent treatment centre on 15 July 2024.

The service sought feedback from patients using the Friends and Family Test. This was either completed via an online scanning code or on paper. Staff told us they mostly had positive results. The results were shared with the staff and actions taken to improve where needed. Patients who were experiencing mental health problems often attended the department. They were not suitable to be seen within the MIU. The staff took their details and redirected them to a suitable hospital within the trust. They called the hospital to check they had attended to ensure they were safe.

We observed staff treating patients and answering buzzers promptly.

Managers ensured staff well-being was important within their culture. Staff had regular breaks and there were appropriate rest areas. There was also a ‘wobble’ room which was a separate room that staff or patients could use if they needed space or a quiet environment. We observed good team working within the MIU and the urgent treatment centre. Most staff told us they worked well as a team and helped each other. Managers were approachable although we were told at times, the unit felt isolated, and managers were not always visible. Most staff rotated around the other MIU’s within the emergency departments within the trust and felt teams mostly worked well together. We were told about a member of staff who had passed away the week prior to our assessment and the support had been fantastic. Other teams had come across to Solihull to cover the staff who felt unable to work, the chaplaincy team, imam, counselling team and wellbeing team all came to the unit to support the staff. Staff told us their manager was supportive if they needed adjustments to their work for their wellbeing. For example, a staff member who needed routine shifts was set up with a regular shift pattern.

Managers had team meetings to feedback to staff and hear their suggestions for improvements. All managers sent minutes to staff following meetings to ensure all staff knew the information. Feedback was also disseminated via a closed social media group.