Community health inpatient services at a West London NHS trust have been rated as Good overall by the Care Quality Commission.
The unit at Teddington Memorial Hospital, part of Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare NHS Trust, was rated Good for being safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, following the inspection in January and February 2017. The trust’s overall rating remains Requires Improvement.
CQC inspectors undertook this latest follow up inspection after rating the safe and caring domains Inadequate at a previous inspection. The unit is now focused on rehabilitation rather than being a general elderly care step down ward. The service is quite different from that which CQC inspected in March 2016 which is why CQC decided to rate all domains again.
CQC’s findings included:
- There was regular oversight of the inpatient unit by members of the Executive team.
- All day shifts were filled by 100% permanent staff. Night shifts by 95% permanent staff.
- The inpatient environment was visibly clean, quiet and calm.
- CQC inspectors’ visits were unannounced and they found patients were up and dressed early in the day.
- Staff had received additional training in areas that had been identified as weak at the previous inspection.
- All healthcare assistants had obtained the care certificate.
- Inspectors found no issues associated with privacy and dignity. Staff sought patients’ consent for treatment including daily activities such as washing and dressing.
- There was resuscitation equipment on the inpatient unit which had not been readily available on the previous inspection, and staff were confident in how to use it.
England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said:
“It is encouraging to see improvements at this service. We spoke with patients and visitors and all the feedback we received was positive. All patients we spoke with were complimentary about their care and treatment and of the kindness of staff."
“One area of outstanding practice was the rapid response and rehabilitation team, which acted as a single point of access for admissions and was also involved in discharging people, ensuring that patients were supported to continue their rehabilitation after being sent home.”
You can read the report in full on our website.
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