England’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals has found a significant improvement in the quality of services for patients during the latest inspection of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. As a result of the inspection, the Royal Berkshire Hospital is now rated as Outstanding.
A team of inspectors from the Care Quality Commission visited the hospital unannounced in September to check the quality of five core services: urgent and emergency care, surgery, medicine, critical care and outpatients. CQC also looked specifically at management and leadership to answer the key question: Is the trust well led?
Overall the trust is now rated as Good - although the Royal Berkshire Hospital itself is Outstanding.
The Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Professor Ted Baker, said:
“Almost three years ago we rated services at the Royal Berkshire Hospital as Requires Improvement. I am delighted that the Trust has taken to heart the findings from our original inspection report and built on it to provide excellent services to the people of Berkshire."
“During our latest inspection we found there is now in place an experienced, credible and skilled leadership team with the tenacity to deliver high quality care. They set the tone and expectations of the organisational culture and in doing so have demonstrated a clear understanding of the trust’s challenges and priorities."
“The trust has put quality and sustainability as the top of its priorities, with a defined strategy for the future while maintaining the focus not just on the delivery of care but on the quality of the outcomes."
“During this inspection we have found examples of outstanding practice in all core services we inspected. In particular we have seen a significant improvement in the quality of medical care. Services are now flexible and highly personalised to meet patients’ individual needs. I congratulate all concerned on the transformation that we have found.”
Inspectors found that the trust’s strategy, vision and values underpinned a culture that was at all times patient centred. Staff were proud to work for their trust and had invested effort and time into delivering the newly-agreed organisational values.
Urgent and emergency care was rated Good overall, with the integrated front door model, which is improving streaming at reception so patients get to where they need to go, and making sure hospitals focus on the sickest patients, being used to improve both the efficiency of the service and respond better to patients’ immediate needs. The positive impact of the new service design was felt throughout the hospital.
Medicine (including older people’s care) improved from Requires Improvement to Outstanding. The delivery of the service, outcomes for patients, and leadership of these teams had improved. Patients’ needs were met by competent, knowledgeable and caring staff. Surgery services improved from requires improvement to good overall.
Staff understood the emotional impact that a person’s care, treatment or condition would have on them. They also understood the impact it would have on those close to them. Patients told inspectors that staff were kind and supportive across the wards and theatres. .
Critical care improved from requires improvement to good overall and Outpatients
improved from requires improvement to outstanding overall, and it delivers a highly personalised and responsive outpatients service to the patients who attend both the Royal Berkshire Hospital and the Bracknell Healthspace.
Full reports including ratings for all of the provider’s core services are available on our website.
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The trust has put quality and sustainability as the top of its priorities
Professor Ted Baker, the Chief Inspector of Hospitals