- NHS hospital
St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children
Assessment report published 11 June 2026
Contents
Ratings - Medical care (Including older people's care)
Our view of the service
Medical care at St Helier Hospital and Queen Mary’s Hospital for Children provided care that was mostly safe, compassionate and based on national guidance. Staff were kind and respectful, and patients frequently described them as supportive and attentive. Teams worked well together to assess needs, monitor risks and involve patients and families in decisions about treatment, particularly where people had communication needs or complex vulnerabilities. Safeguarding arrangements were well established, and staff understood how to act to protect people from harm. Medicines were managed safely, and pharmacy teams supported both prescribing and discharge planning effectively. Staff used evidence based tools, participated in quality improvement work and learning from incidents and audit was routinely shared. Leaders were visible, approachable and promoted a culture of openness, with governance structures that gave oversight of risks, workforce pressures and performance. Strong relationships with community partners supported discharge planning and continuity of care, including the use of virtual wards‑based tools, participated in quality improvement work
However, the service continued to experience significant pressures linked to patient flow, which affected the consistency of people’s experience. Patients described long waits in areas that were not designed for extended stays, including the same day emergency care unit and the acute medical unit. Some older people experienced limited access to therapeutic activities or regular mobilisation, increasing the risk of deconditioning during prolonged admissions.
People's experience of this service
Patients told us that staff treated them with kindness and respect, and many said they felt well supported during their stay. People described nurses and doctors as compassionate and considerate, and several said staff took time to explain their care in a way they could understand. Many patients felt reassured by how promptly staff responded when they needed help, and some said their families were included in discussions when this was what they wanted.
However, experiences were not consistent across all wards. Some patients and relatives reported that communication could be unclear or irregular, especially when waiting for updates or during complex discharge planning. Some patients described long waits in areas that were not designed for extended stays, including the same day emergency care unit. These delays had an impact on comfort, privacy and emotional wellbeing, and some patients felt uncertain about what was happening when updates were slow, or communication was inconsistent.