• Hospital
  • Independent hospital

Oaks Hospital

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Oaks Place, Mile End Road, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5XR (01206) 752121

Provided and run by:
Ramsay Health Care UK Operations Limited

Report from 19 January 2024 assessment

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Effective

Good

Updated 29 May 2024

We reviewed the effective key question, we evaluated the delivery of evidence-based care and treatment. Staff adhered to corporate policies and processes to provide high-quality care aligned with best practices and national guidelines. Patients praised the staff and felt well informed about their care.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Assessing needs

Score: 3

We did not look at Assessing needs during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

Delivering evidence-based care and treatment

Score: 3

Patients said they received timely up to date information about their care. Patients felt staff communicated well with them. Patients told us they had enough food and drink during their time at the service. Most patients told us they had a good food choice and this was served in a timely manner.

Staff followed up-to-date policies to plan and deliver high quality care according to best practice and national guidance. Policies were held on the service’s online system and staff were required to read them annually. We spoke with managers who told us they would send reminder emails to staff to read new or updated policies. Compliance with policy was regularly audited for example adherence with the World Health Organisation (WHO) safer surgery checklist, hand hygiene and admission paperwork were all audited every month. Staff demonstrated the use of all five steps to safer surgery and completed all elements following NatSSIPs best practice guidelines. The theatre leadership team were aware of NatSSIPs2 and presented documentation that had been shared with the team through huddles. Outcomes for patients were positive, consistent and met expectations, such as national standards. The service had no concerns about their post-surgical infection rates, readmission to theatre or outcomes data. During the period September 2023 to February 2024 the service had zero readmission rates. The service, in between the same period, had 99% successful day case surgeries. Following their surgery staff made sure patients had a range of food and drink to meet any dietary restrictions. The service had a sip till send procedure in place which meant patients waiting to have surgery were not left nil by mouth for long periods. Patients were given a maximum of 170ml every hour to sip before their surgery. Staff fully and accurately completed patients’ fluid and nutrition charts where needed.

Managers and staff carried out a comprehensive programme of repeated audits to check improvement over time. We saw the corporate nutrition and hydration policy which had been ratified and was in date.

How staff, teams and services work together

Score: 3

We did not look at How staff, teams and services work together during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

Supporting people to live healthier lives

Score: 3

We did not look at Supporting people to live healthier lives during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

Monitoring and improving outcomes

Score: 3

We did not look at Monitoring and improving outcomes during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

We did not look at Consent to care and treatment during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.