East Surrey 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

We assessed a total of 3 quality statements from this key question. We have combined the scores for these areas with scores based on the rating from the last inspection, which was outstanding. Our rating for this key question has changed to good.
We found that people were treated with kindness, empathy and compassion and their privacy and dignity were respected. People were mostly treated as individuals and their care, support and treatment mostly meet their needs and preferences. People’s immediate needs were mostly responded to in a timely way, with staff acting to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.
 

This service scored 85 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Patients told us they were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity in their day-to-day care and support. Patients felt that their privacy was respected, and that staff were respectful towards them.
Patients said staff tried their best and they felt safe and supported by staff. However, patients did not always feel there were enough staff available to respond to everyone's individual needs quickly and efficiently.
 

Staff told us they treated patients with kindness, compassion dignity. Staff were proud to work at the hospital and wanted patients and their families to receive the best care possible. They worked hard to provide this even when wards were short staffed.

The hospital encouraged outside agencies to come in and offer support to patients and training for staff. This aided patient’s emotional well-being and the effective care staff could give patients.

We observed staff interacting with patients in a kind, warm and caring manner. Staff spoke to patients in an unhurried kindly manner using supportive language. Staff introduced themselves and referred to patients by their preferred name. We observed staff delivering care to some challenging patients which they did in a caring, respectful and patient manner.

Patients told us they felt cared for and staff spent time getting to know them as individuals. They felt their preferences were understood and this was reflected in the care, treatment and support they received.

Staff demonstrated the importance of personalised care and were aware of patients’ individual needs. Staff understood and respected the individual needs of each patient and showed understanding and a non-judgmental attitude when caring for or discussing patients. Staff told us patient’s individual needs and preferences would be recorded in the electronic patient records. Patient information was assessable for all staff involved in the patient’s care.

We observed staff treating people as individuals, they adapted their communication style to meet the needs of the patients they cared for, and support individual communication, cultural and personal needs.

The hospital had processes in place to support patients with complex needs, this included specialist nurses that could give advice and support in the care of patients living with dementia or patients with a learning difficulty.
The hospital had an active chaplaincy service in place for patients, accessible 24 hours a day for all faiths and beliefs.
 

We did not look at Independence, choice and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.

Patients told us they felt able to approach staff if they had any immediate concerns, they told us staff listened to them and responded in a respectful way.
Relatives told us they communicated directly with hospital staff when required. They felt involved with care planning, patient care and support.
Patients told us staff were not always able to respond to immediate needs. They told us that there was not always enough staff to support patients with eating and administering medicines. One patient had a hearing impairment and told us they did not feel staff were able to effectively communicate with them in a caring manner, and therefore not able to respond to their individual needs.
 

Staff told us they were on the wards observing patients and patients could use call bells if they needed to alert staff to their immediate needs. Staff told us patients immediate needs were also discussed during clinical ward rounds and action taken if required.

We mostly observed staff responding to people’s needs quickly and responding to call bells quickly when pressed.

We did not look at Workforce wellbeing and enablement during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Caring.