England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals has welcomed a marked improvement in the quality of services for patients during an inspection of Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. As a result of the inspection, the trust is now rated as Good overall.
A team of inspectors from the Care Quality Commission visited the trust in March 2018 to check the quality of five core services: urgent and emergency care, medical care, maternity and surgery. CQC also looked specifically at management and leadership to answer the key question: Is the trust well led?
Previously in October 2015, the trust was rated Good for being caring and Requires Improvement for being safe, effective, responsive to people’s needs and well led. As a result of this inspection the trust is now rated as Outstanding for being well led and Good for being safe, effective, caring and responsive to people’s needs.
Full details of the ratings are available on our website.
Inspectors found the trust had planned and provided services in a way that met the needs of local people, such as investing time and money to support people living with dementia. Wards in medicine were dementia friendly with appropriately designed surroundings and the needs of vulnerable patients or those with complex needs were taken into account when delivering and organising services. Plans were in place to support patients with a learning disability.
Throughout the trust patients and those close to them felt fully involved in all aspects of care with staff providing compassionate and consistent support.
Surgical services had improved overall since the previous inspection in October 2015. The trust had worked to recruit and retain staff, with particular attention to increase staff retention in operating theatres. Staffing levels were now regularly checked by senior staff and lower staffing levels could now be reported to the board.
The Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Ted Baker, said:
“Since we last inspected, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has taken significant strides to improve in all areas. I am satisfied that the trust has worked to ensure every stage of improvement has been embedded before moving on.
“Senior managers have taken a thorough approach to improve services across the trust by developing team coaching, change champions and quality improvement training. By actively promoting staff empowerment to raise concerns and drive improvement, the trust has helped embed quality improvement in the everyday workings of the trust.
“The board and staff must also be congratulated for setting out an aim to be the most improved trust by 2017 and for its its achievement in working collaboratively with local stakeholders to help transform local health service throughout Dorset.”
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Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has taken significant strides to improve in all areas
Professor Ted Baker, Chief Inspector of Hospitals