Yeovil District Hospital

Updated 15 April 2022

The pathology centre at Yeovil District Hospital is one of three locations in Somerset run by the provider, Integrated Pathology Partnerships, providing pathology service for NHS establishments operating within the county. The centre is located within the hospital building and comprises a set of self-contained laboratories providing analysis in the disciplines of clinical chemistry, haematology, blood transfusion, microbiology and histology.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we ask the same five questions of all services: are they safe, effective, caring, responsive to people's needs, and well-led? We did not inspect the caring domain at this inspection as the laboratory does not have any direct contact with patients.

The provider is registered to provide the following regulated activity:

• Diagnostic and screening procedures
• Management of supply of blood and blood derived products

The location has a registered manager in post since 2020. Registered managers have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated regulations about how the service is run.

The provider employs 202 members of staff across the three locations. Technical and managerial staff are employed by Integrated Pathology Partnerships while clinical staff are employed by partners in the joint venture with Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Yeovil District Hospital Foundation Trust.

The previous inspection of this service was March 2013 when the provider had met the standards but was not rated.

We inspected this service using our comprehensive inspection methodology. We carried out the unannounced inspection on 16 February 2022.

Updated 15 April 2022

We did not rate this service. We found:

• The service had enough staff to provide the right level of service. Staff had training in key skills and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks, acted on them and kept good records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients and had access to good information. Key services were available seven days a week. Services were available to support timely care.
• The service was planned to meet the needs of local people.
• Leaders had the skills and abilities to run the service using reliable information systems and 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. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.

Updated 15 April 2022

We did not rate this service. We found:

• The service had enough staff to provide the right level of service. Staff had training in key skills and managed safety well. The service controlled infection risk well. Staff assessed risks, acted on them and kept good records. They managed medicines well. The service managed safety incidents well and learned lessons from them.
• Managers monitored the effectiveness of the service and made sure staff were competent. Staff worked well together for the benefit of patients and had access to good information. Key services were available seven days a week. Services were available to support timely care.
• The service was planned to meet the needs of local people.
• Leaders had the skills and abilities to run the service using reliable information systems and 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. Staff were clear about their roles and accountabilities. The service engaged well to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually.