- SERVICE PROVIDER
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust
This is an organisation that runs the health and social care services we inspect
Report from 24 November 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings - Community end of life care
Our view of the service
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) delivers a range of community-based services to the people of Lincolnshire, during this assessment we visited all 5 locations within LCHS that provided end of life care. The services included, The Butterfly Hospice, John Coupland Hospital Gainsborough and County Hospital Louth, Tulip Suite Hospice within Johnson Community Hospital, Louth County Hospital and Skegness District Hospital. People who had an end-of-life care plan and/or diagnosis also received support in the places of their residence from The Macmillan service and the LCHS Community Nursing service.
We carried out the on and offsite assessment on the 15th, 23rd and 24th September 2025. When the service was last inspected it was rated as Good in Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
This was an announced assessment, which means the provider was told an assessment was going to be taking place beforehand. During this fully comprehensive assessment we looked at all quality statements across all 5 key questions. As we assessed all quality statements at this visit it means the current rating reflects the findings from this assessment.
People's experience of this service
During our assessment we did not speak to any patients due to the nature of the service but did receive patient feedback provided by the LCHS team. We spoke to family and carers who provided feedback by telephone as part of our off-site section of the assessment. Family members told us that the team provided caring and person-centred care for their loved one but also supported the family with bereavement services and therapy sessions that were available by phone, video call, face-to-face or group support, in a safe, calm and secure environment.
We observed staff interacting with patients and their families in a manner that was consistently kind, compassionate, and respectful, always upholding their dignity. Staff were readily available and visible, ensuring that individuals in the community could access timely and effective care whenever it was needed. Patients and their loved ones were actively encouraged to participate in decisions about their care and treatment. Staff recognised each person as an individual, attentive to their unique needs and preferences, and ensured their voices were heard and valued.
Patients were supported to maintain as much independence as possible, with both choice and control over their care and treatment. They were encouraged to involve family members and others who knew them well in decisions about their care. Staff actively listened to patients and promoted feedback on their experiences within the service.
All those involved in the patients’ care worked collaboratively and in partnership with them. Patients with communication needs were supported through access to a wide range of internal and external resources, ensuring their voices, preferences, and needs were heard and understood. Information about care, treatment, and support was clearly displayed throughout the ward, alongside details of external resources and support services, which were also readily accessible.