The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found improvements at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust following its latest inspection and it is now rated Outstanding overall.
A team of inspectors from CQC visited the trust in May 2019 to check the quality of four core services: sexual health services, urgent emergency care, end of life care and community dental services. CQC also looked specifically at management and leadership to answer the key question: Is the trust well-led?
At a previous inspection in June 2014 the trust was rated Good. The trust is now rated Outstanding for being caring and effective and Good for being safe, responsive and well-led.
Full reports are available at: www.cqc.org.uk/provider/RYY
CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals, Dr Nigel Acheson, said:
"Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust provides a wide range of essential health services to a large population in Kent, supporting people to recover from illness and to live well and independently, often without being admitted to hospital. In June 2014, our inspectors found Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust was providing services that were rated Good overall.
“The trust has built on those findings. Not just in those areas where improvements were required, but in all areas across the trust.
“The trust’s determination to develop a patient centred culture has improved services. This has ensured that the overall rating has moved to Outstanding.
“Staff spoke positively about the patient journey and the striving for continual improvement. This was especially clear in urgent care and sexual health which were both rated as Outstanding. Community Dental services also improved and are now rated as Good. Staff worked as a team in a co-ordinated way for the patients’ best interests.
“The hard work makes a real difference to the lives of people using the services. Everyone who has played a part in this should be proud of this great achievement.”
Inspectors rated sexual health as Outstanding. Patients had a range of online options and could easily access services. There was also the Apple Tree project. This was a client-led project with joint working between the community learning disabilities service and the sexual health service. This service allowed people with learning disabilities to access sexual health services more effectively. The term "apple tree" was used as a trigger to allow the client longer time for appointments.
End of life care was rated as Good - with caring rated as Outstanding . Inspectors found a strong sense of culture that was centred on the needs of patients. Staff told inspectors they were passionate about the care they provided to patients approaching the end of their life. There was a strong, visible person-centred culture. Staff were highly motivated and inspired to offer care that is kind and promoted people's dignity.
In urgent care staff used their communication skills to get to the heart of the patients’ concerns. This was not only to treat the current injury or condition but understanding the impact of what they were doing with the patient and the difference they could make to them. This was demonstrated when a member of staff went out of their way to get a GP appointment for a patient that needed it. The member of staff took the time to understand the full story and take the matter into their own hands.
Patients were respected and valued as individuals. They were also empowered as partners in their care. Patients told inspectors, staff went the extra mile and the care they received exceeded their expectations. Staff respected patients’ cultural, social and religious needs and supported them to be active partners in their care.
There was a healthy and authentic culture of valuing staff, openness, fairness and putting the patient at the hearts of every policy. This culture was firmly embedded across the organisation from the frontline to the board. There was a significant shift in the trust to improve accountability and empower all staff. There was a strong focus on supporting the team. Allowing staff to take risks to improve service delivery. The trust pushed away from ‘fear of failure’ being a barrier to the development of the organisation.
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