Centre for Surgery - Baker Street

The service had not previously been rated. We rated it as good:

• The service had enough staff to care for patients and keep them safe. Staff had training in key skills and managed safety well. Staff assessed risks to patients, acted on them and kept good care records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Staff provided good care and treatment and gave them pain relief when they needed it. Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients, advised them on how to lead healthier lives, supported them to make decisions about their care and had access to information. Key services were available six days a week.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions. They provided emotional support to patients, families, and carers.
• The service planned care to meet the needs of local people and made it easy for people to give feedback. People could access the service when they needed it.
• Leaders supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values, and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported, and valued. They were focused on the needs of patients receiving care. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well with patients were committed to improving services continually.

However:

• The service needed to make some improvements in its governance processes to ensure it had all the guidance and records in place to provide appropriate levels of assurance.
• The service did not have copies of the records of the mandatory training undertaken by consultants working under practising privileges.
• The service did not have a written protocol for staff to follow in the event of the need for an emergency transfer of a patient.
• The service did not have a formally constituted Medical Advisory Committee (MAC).
• The service did not audit the World Health Organisation (WHO) safer surgery checklist to ensure it was always completed correctly.
• The service did not have cleaning schedules in place although the service was visibly clean.
• The service did not have copies of records to confirm that the appropriate staff were trained to adults safeguarding level 3.
• The services mandatory training matrix did not record the dates when training had been completed.
• Staff did not have access to communication aids to help patients become partners in their care and treatment.