The Care Quality Commission has rated University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust as Good overall.
CQC visited the trust during December 2018 and January 2019 to check the quality of four core services – the emergency department, outpatients, medicine and maternity. CQC also looked specifically at management and leadership to answer the key question: Is the trust well led?
The trust is now rated as Outstanding for being effective, Good for being caring and well-led and Requires Improvement for being safe and responsive to people’s needs.
CQC has also published the trust’s Use of Resources (UoR) report, which is based on an assessment undertaken by NHS Improvement. The trust has been rated as Good for using its resources productively. Its combined UoR and Quality rating is now Good
You can read the latest reports in full here www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RHM, once the report has been published on the CQC website.
Dr Nigel Acheson, CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals for the south, said:
“At University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust our inspectors found a strong patient-centred culture with staff committed to keeping their people safe, and encouraging them to be independent. Patients’ needs came first and staff worked hard to deliver the best possible care with compassion and respect.
“Inspectors saw many areas of outstanding practice, with care delivered by compassionate and knowledgeable staff. Several teams led by example with a continuous focus on quality improvement.
“The trust did face some challenges especially with the ageing estates. Some patient environments were showing significant signs of wear and tear - but again staff were doing their utmost to deliver compassionate care.
“We will continue to monitor the trust and our inspectors will return to check on its progress.”
In outpatients, not all premises were suitable and some departments could not cope with the volume of patients attending clinics. The service was not consistent in its approach to controlling all infection risks and premises were not always clean.
However, staff in outpatients were caring and aware of how to provide additional support for patients living with dementia or with a learning disability.
All professionals recognised it was their responsibility to anticipate and manage risks to people. Staff kept clear records and asked for support when necessary.
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals worked together as a team to benefit patients, finding innovative ways to deliver more joined-up care to people. Managers across the trust promoted a positive culture that supported and valued staff, creating a sense of common purpose based on shared values.
Inspectors found there were challenges in the emergency care department surrounding the space available to treat patients. However, staff were providing effective treatment. There were some delays in the triage of patients. Staff did manage the risks associated with this well and thought was given to ensuring vulnerable people and those who presented with acute mental health needs were treated in a safe environment
The trust leadership was experienced, visible and approachable, with the skills, abilities, and commitment to provide high-quality services. They recognised the training needs of managers at all levels, including themselves, and worked to provide development opportunities for the future of the organisation. There was a clear structure for overseeing performance, quality and risk, with board members represented across all departments. This gave the board greater oversight of issues and they responded when services needed more support.
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